Tool auto-teach method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching a substrate station location, the system including a frame, a substrate transport connected to the frame, the substrate transport having an end effector configured to support a substrate, and a controller configured to move the substrate transport so that the substrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effector against a substrate station feature causing a change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector, determine the change in eccentricity, and determine the substrate station location based on at least the change in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of and claims the benefit of U.S.provisional application No. 62/247,647, filed on Oct. 28, 2015, U.S.provisional patent application No. 62/191,829 filed on Jul. 13, 2015,U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/078,345 filed on Nov. 11,2014 and U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/077,775 filed onNov. 10, 2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The exemplary embodiments generally relate to substrate processingsystems and, more particularly, to calibration and synchronization ofcomponents of the substrate processing systems.

2. Brief Description of Related Developments

Substrate processing equipment is typically capable of performingmultiple operations on a substrate. The substrate processing equipmentgenerally includes a transfer chamber and one or more process modulescoupled to the transfer chamber. A substrate transport robot within thetransfer chamber moves substrates among the process modules wheredifferent operations, such as sputtering, etching, coating, soaking,etc. are performed. Production processes used by, for example,semiconductor device manufacturers and materials producers often requireprecise positioning of substrates in the substrate processing equipment.

The precise position of the substrates is generally provided throughteaching locations of the process modules to the substrate transportrobot. Generally the teaching of the substrate transport robot includesdetecting a position of the robot and/or substrate carried by the robotwith dedicated teaching sensors added to the substrate processingequipment, utilizing instrumented substrates (e.g. including onboard,sensors or cameras) carried by the substrate transport robot, utilizingremovable fixtures that are placed within the process modules or othersubstrate holding station of the substrate processing equipment,utilizing wafer centering sensors that are located within or externallyaccessible at the process modules, utilizing sensors (e.g. cameras)disposed external to the process modules, or by contacting a targetwithin the process module with the substrate transport robot or anobject carried by the substrate transport robot. These approaches toteaching locations within substrate processing equipment may requiresensors being placed in a vacuum, may require changes to customerprocessing equipment and/or tooling, may not be suitable for use invacuum environments or at high temperatures, may require sensor targets,mirrors or fixtures being placed within the processing equipment, maydisrupt a vacuum environment of the substrate processing equipment,and/or may require software changes to the code embedded into thesubstrate transport robot's and/or processing system's controller.

It would be advantageous to automatically teach a substrate transportrobot the substrate processing locations within processing equipmentwithout disturbing an environment within the processing equipment orrequiring additional instrumentation and/or modification to thesubstrate processing equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosed embodiment areexplained in the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic illustrations of a substrate processingapparatus incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 2A-2E are schematic illustrations of transport arms in accordancewith aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIGS. 5A-5E are schematic illustrations of portions of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIGS. 6 and 6A are schematic illustrations of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are flow charts of auto-teach processes in accordancewith aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic illustrations for determining a stationin accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating different configurations of aportion of the processing apparatus;

FIGS. 14A-14B respectively are schematic plan views of a substrate endeffector having different configurations;

FIGS. 15A-15F are schematic elevation and perspective views respectivelyillustrating different features of the teaching substrate in relation tothe end effector pursuant to aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a portion of a substrate processingapparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 16A-16D are schematic illustrations of portions of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIGS. 17A-17C are schematic views of a station auto-teach fixture inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 18A and 18B are schematic illustrations of a deterministicrelationship between a substrate and a substrate holding location inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 20 is a graph illustrating an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 22A-22C are schematic illustrations of an auto-teach process inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 24A-24B are schematic illustrations of a deterministicrelationship between a substrate and a substrate holding location inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a substrateprocessing apparatus in accordance with aspects of the disclosedembodiment;

FIG. 26 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 27A-27C are schematic illustrations of an auto-teach process inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 28 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 29A-29F are schematic illustrations of an auto-teach process inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIG. 30 is a schematic illustration of a substrate/teaching substrateand deterministic stations features for an auto-teach process inaccordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment;

FIGS. 31A and 31B are schematic illustrations of an auto-teach processin accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment; and

FIG. 32 is a flow chart of an auto-teach process in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, there are shown schematic views of substrateprocessing apparatus or tools incorporating the aspects of the disclosedembodiment as will be further described herein. Although the aspects ofthe disclosed embodiment will be described with reference to thedrawings, it should be understood that the aspects of the disclosedembodiment can be embodied in many forms. In addition, any suitablesize, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

As will be described in greater detail below, the aspects of thedisclosed embodiment provide for the automatic (e.g. without operatorintervention) location of substrate holding stations of a substrateprocessing apparatus and teaching a substrate transport apparatus thelocations of the substrate holding stations. As used herein the termsubstrate holding station is a substrate holding location within aprocess module or any other suitable substrate holding location withinthe substrate processing apparatus such as, for example, a load port (orsubstrate cassette held thereon), a load lock, a buffer station, etc.The aspects of the disclosed embodiment leverage existing equipment anddevices employed in the substrate processing apparatus such as substrateprocessing sensors. Substrate processing sensors as used herein areactive wafer centering sensors (AWC), substrate aligners and/or othersuitable substrate eccentricity (e.g. relative to a predeterminedsubstrate holding location on an end effector) detection units used inthe aligning and/or centering of substrates during substrate processing.In other words, there are substantially no additional instrumentationcosts incurred by, for example, the customer after the initialpurchase/configuration of the substrate processing apparatus when theautomated teaching in accordance with the aspects of the disclosedembodiment is utilized.

The aspects of the disclosed embodiment may also be implementedsubstantially without software changes to the programming code embeddedinto the substrate transport apparatus and/or the substrate processingapparatus system controller. For example, the aspects of the disclosedembodiment may utilize existing commands associated with the substratetransport apparatus such as “pick and place” commands and/or “substratealignment” commands. The aspects of the disclosed embodiments are alsooperational environment such as vacuum environment (as well asatmospheric environment e.g. inert gas, filtered clean air) compatibleas there are no electronic components (e.g. cables, printed circuitboards, etc.) located within the processing environment. As may berealized, in an atmospheric processing environment the AWC centers maybe located within the atmospheric processing environment. Accordingly,the aspects of the disclosed embodiment provide for decreased machinedown time during the automatic teaching of the substrate transportapparatus substantially without disrupting the processing environment(e.g. vacuum or atmospheric) already established within the substrateprocessing apparatus (e.g. the substrate processing apparatus and thecomponents thereof remain sealed or otherwise isolated from an externalenvironment during the automatic teaching process).

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a processing apparatus, such as forexample a semiconductor tool station 11090 is shown in accordance withaspects of the disclosed embodiment. Although a semiconductor tool 11090is shown in the drawings, the aspects of the disclosed embodimentdescribed herein can be applied to any tool station or applicationemploying robotic manipulators. In this example the tool 11090 is shownas a cluster tool, however the aspects of the disclosed embodiment maybe applied to any suitable tool station such as, for example, a lineartool station such as that shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D and described in U.S.Pat. No. 8,398,355, entitled “Linearly Distributed SemiconductorWorkpiece Processing Tool,” issued Mar. 19, 2013, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The toolstation 11090 generally includes an atmospheric front end 11000, avacuum load lock 11010 and a vacuum back end 11020. In other aspects,the tool station may have any suitable configuration. The components ofeach of the front end 11000, load lock 11010 and back end 11020 may beconnected to a controller 11091 which may be part of any suitablecontrol architecture such as, for example, a clustered architecturecontrol. The control system may be a closed loop controller having amaster controller, cluster controllers and autonomous remote controllerssuch as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,904,182 entitled “ScalableMotion Control System” issued on Mar. 8, 2011 the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In other aspects, anysuitable controller and/or control system may be utilized. Thecontroller 11091 includes any suitable memory and processor(s) thatinclude non-transitory program code for operating the processingapparatus described herein to effect the automatic location of substrateholding stations of a substrate processing apparatus and teaching asubstrate transport apparatus the locations of the substrate holdingstations as described herein. For example, in one aspect the controller11091 includes embedded pick/place commands (e.g. for the substratetransport apparatus to move the substrate transport apparatus and biasor tap the substrate so as to generate eccentricity as described herein)and/or embedded substrate locating commands (e.g. for determining aneccentricity between the substrate and end effector of the substratetransport apparatus). In one aspect, the controller is configured tomove the substrate transport so that the substrate transport biases (ortaps) the substrate supported on the end effector against a substratestation feature (as will be described in greater detail below) causing achange in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector. Thecontroller is configured to determine the change in eccentricity anddetermine the substrate station location based on at least the change ineccentricity between the substrate and the end effector. As may berealized, and as described herein, in one aspect, the substrate stationis located inside and the auto-teaching described herein occurs in aprocess module having a vacuum pressure environment therein. In oneaspect the vacuum pressure is a high vacuum. In one aspect, theauto-teaching described herein occurs within a substrate station featurelocated for example within a process module that is in a state ofprocess security (e.g. for processing substrates). The state of processsecurity for processing substrates is a condition of the process modulewherein the process module is sealed in a cleanliness state ready forintroducing process vacuum or atmosphere into the process module, or astate ready for introducing a production wafer into the process module.

In one aspect, the front end 11000 generally includes load port modules11005 and a mini-environment 11060 such as for example an equipmentfront end module (EFEM). The load port modules 11005 may be boxopener/loader to tool standard (BOLTS) interfaces that conform to SEMIstandards E15.1, E47.1, E62, E19.5 or E1.9 for 300 mm load ports, frontopening or bottom opening boxes/pods and cassettes. In other aspects,the load port modules may be configured as 200 mm wafer or 450 mm waferinterfaces or any other suitable substrate interfaces such as forexample larger or smaller wafers or flat panels for flat panel displays.Although two load port modules 11005 are shown in FIG. 1A, in otheraspects any suitable number of load port modules may be incorporatedinto the front end 11000. The load port modules 11005 may be configuredto receive substrate carriers or cassettes 11050 from an overheadtransport system, automatic guided vehicles, person guided vehicles,rail guided vehicles or from any other suitable transport method. Theload port modules 11005 may interface with the mini-environment 11060through load ports 11040. In one aspect the load ports 11040 allow thepassage of substrates between the substrate cassettes 11050 and themini-environment 11060.

In one aspect, the mini-environment 11060 generally includes anysuitable transfer robot 11013 that incorporates one or more aspects ofthe disclosed embodiment described herein. In one aspect the robot 11013may be a track mounted robot such as that described in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,840, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety or in other aspects, any other suitabletransport robot having any suitable configuration. The mini-environment11060 may provide a controlled, clean zone for substrate transferbetween multiple load port modules.

The vacuum load lock 11010 may be located between and connected to themini-environment 11060 and the back end 11020. It is noted that the termvacuum as used herein may denote a high vacuum such as 10⁻⁵ Torr orbelow in which the substrates are processed. The load lock 11010generally includes atmospheric and vacuum slot valves. The slot valvesmay provide the environmental isolation employed to evacuate the loadlock after loading a substrate from the atmospheric front end and tomaintain the vacuum in the transport chamber when venting the lock withan inert gas such as nitrogen. In one aspect, the load lock 11010includes an aligner 11011 for aligning a fiducial of the substrate to adesired position for processing. In other aspects, the vacuum load lockmay be located in any suitable location of the processing apparatus andhave any suitable configuration and/or metrology equipment.

The vacuum back end 11020 generally includes a transport chamber 11025,one or more processing station(s) or module(s) 11030 and any suitabletransfer robot or apparatus 11014. The transfer robot 11014 will bedescribed below and may be located within the transport chamber 11025 totransport substrates between the load lock 11010 and the variousprocessing stations 11030. The processing stations 11030 may operate onthe substrates through various deposition, etching, or other types ofprocesses to form electrical circuitry or other desired structure on thesubstrates. Typical processes include but are not limited to thin filmprocesses that use a vacuum such as plasma etch or other etchingprocesses, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma vapor deposition(PVD), implantation such as ion implantation, metrology, rapid thermalprocessing (RTP), dry strip atomic layer deposition (ALD),oxidation/diffusion, forming of nitrides, vacuum lithography, epitaxy(EPI), wire bonder and evaporation or other thin film processes that usevacuum pressures. The processing stations 11030 are connected to thetransport chamber 11025 to allow substrates to be passed from thetransport chamber 11025 to the processing stations 11030 and vice versa.In one aspect the load port modules 11005 and load ports 11040 aresubstantially directly coupled to the vacuum back end 11020 so that acassette 11050 mounted on the load port interfaces substantiallydirectly (e.g. in one aspect at least the mini-environment 11060 isomitted while in other aspects the vacuum load lock 11010 is alsoomitted such that the cassette 11050 is pumped down to vacuum in amanner similar to that of the vacuum load lock 11010) with a vacuumenvironment of the transfer chamber 11025 and/or a processing vacuum ofa process module 11030 (e.g. the processing vacuum and/or vacuumenvironment extends between and is common between the process module11030 and the cassette 11050).

Referring now to FIG. 1C, a schematic plan view of a linear substrateprocessing system 2010 is shown where the tool interface section 2012 ismounted to a transport chamber module 3018 so that the interface section2012 is facing generally towards (e.g. inwards) but is offset from thelongitudinal axis X of the transport chamber 3018. The transport chambermodule 3018 may be extended in any suitable direction by attaching othertransport chamber modules 3018A, 30181, 3018J to interfaces 2050, 2060,2070 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,398,355, previously incorporatedherein by reference. Each transport chamber module 3018, 3019A, 30181,3018J includes any suitable substrate transport 2080, which may includeone or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment described herein, fortransporting substrates throughout the processing system 2010 and intoand out of, for example, processing modules PM (which in one aspect aresubstantially similar to processing modules 11030 described above). Asmay be realized, each chamber module may be capable of holding anisolated or controlled atmosphere (e.g. N2, clean air, vacuum).

Referring to FIG. 1D, there is shown a schematic elevation view of anexemplary processing tool 410 such as may be taken along longitudinalaxis X of the linear transport chamber 416. In the aspect of thedisclosed embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, tool interface section 12 may berepresentatively connected to the transport chamber 416. In this aspect,interface section 12 may define one end of the tool transport chamber416. As seen in FIG. 1D, the transport chamber 416 may have anotherworkpiece entry/exit station 412 for example at an opposite end frominterface station 12. In other aspects, other entry/exit stations forinserting/removing workpieces from the transport chamber may beprovided. In one aspect, interface section 12 and entry/exit station 412may allow loading and unloading of workpieces from the tool. In otheraspects, workpieces may be loaded into the tool from one end and removedfrom the other end. In one aspect, the transport chamber 416 may haveone or more transfer chamber module(s) 18B, 18 i. Each chamber modulemay be capable of holding an isolated or controlled atmosphere (e.g. N2,clean air, vacuum). As noted before, the configuration/arrangement ofthe transport chamber modules 18B, 18 i, load lock modules 56A, 56 andworkpiece stations forming the transport chamber 416 shown in FIG. 1D ismerely exemplary, and in other aspects the transport chamber may havemore or fewer modules disposed in any desired modular arrangement. Inthe aspect shown, station 412 may be a load lock. In other aspects, aload lock module may be located between the end entry/exit station(similar to station 412) or the adjoining transport chamber module(similar to module 18 i) may be configured to operate as a load lock.

As also noted before, transport chamber modules 18B, 18 i have one ormore corresponding transport apparatus 26B, 26 i, which may include oneor more aspects of the disclosed embodiment described herein, locatedtherein. The transport apparatus 26B, 26 i of the respective transportchamber modules 18B, 18 i may cooperate to provide the linearlydistributed workpiece transport system in the transport chamber. In thisaspect, the transport apparatus 26B (which may be substantially similarto the transport apparatus 11013, 11014 of the cluster tool illustratedin FIGS. 1A and 1B) may have a general SCARA arm configuration (thoughin other aspects the transport arms may have any other desiredarrangement such as, for example, a linearly sliding arm 214 as shown inFIG. 2B or other suitable arms having any suitable arm linkagemechanisms. Suitable examples of arm linkage mechanisms can be found in,for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,649 issued Aug. 25, 2009, U.S. Pat. No.5,794,487 issued Aug. 18, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,800 issued May 24,2011, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,250 issued Nov. 26, 2002, U.S. Pat. No.7,891,935 issued Feb. 22, 2011, U.S. Pat. No. 8,419,341 issued Apr. 16,2013 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/293,717 entitled “Dual ArmRobot” and filed on Nov. 10, 2011 and Ser. No. 13/861,693 entitled“Linear Vacuum Robot with Z Motion and Articulated Arm” and filed onSep. 5, 2013 the disclosures of which are all incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties. In aspects of the disclosed embodiment, theat least one transfer arm may be derived from a conventional SCARA(selective compliant articulated robot arm) type design, which includesan upper arm, a band-driven forearm and a band-constrained end-effector,or from a telescoping arm or any other suitable arm design. Suitableexamples of transfer arms can be found in, for example, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/117,415 entitled “Substrate Transport Apparatuswith Multiple Movable Arms Utilizing a Mechanical Switch Mechanism”filed on May 8, 2008 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,327 issued on Jan. 19,2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entireties. The operation of the transfer arms may be independentfrom each other (e.g. the extension/retraction of each arm isindependent from other arms), may be operated through a lost motionswitch or may be operably linked in any suitable way such that the armsshare at least one common drive axis. In still other aspects thetransport arms may have any other desired arrangement such as a frog-legarm 216 (FIG. 2A) configuration, a leap frog arm 217 (FIG. 2D)configuration, a bi-symmetric arm 218 (FIG. 2C) configuration, etc. Inanother aspect, referring to FIG. 2E, the transfer arm 219 includes atleast a first and second articulated arm 219A, 219B where each arm 219A,219B includes an end effector 219E configured to hold at least twosubstrates S1, S2 side by side in a common transfer plane (eachsubstrate holding location of the end effector 219E shares a commondrive for picking and placing the substrates S1, S2) where the spacingDX between the substrates S1, S2 corresponds to a fixed spacing betweenside by side substrate holding locations. Suitable examples of transportarms can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,297 issued May 15, 2001, U.S.Pat. No. 5,180,276 issued Jan. 19, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,448 issuedOct. 15, 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,319 issued May 1, 2001, U.S. Pat. No.5,447,409 issued Sep. 5, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,649 issued Aug. 25,2009, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,487 issued Aug. 18, 1998, U.S. Pat. No.7,946,800 issued May 24, 2011, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,250 issued Nov. 26,2002, U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,935 issued Feb. 22, 2011 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/293,717 entitled “Dual Arm Robot” and filed onNov. 10, 2011 and Ser. No. 13/270,844 entitled “Coaxial Drive VacuumRobot” and filed on Oct. 11, 2011 the disclosures of which are allincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

In the aspect of the disclosed embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the arms ofthe transport apparatus 26B may be arranged to provide what may bereferred to as fast swap arrangement allowing the transport to quicklyswap wafers from a pick/place location as will also be described infurther detail below. The transport arm 26B may have any suitable drivesection (e.g. coaxially arranged drive shafts, side by side driveshafts, horizontally adjacent motors, vertically stacked motors, etc.),for providing each arm with any suitable number of degrees of freedom(e.g. independent rotation about shoulder and elbow joints with Z axismotion). As seen in FIG. 1D, in this aspect the modules 56A, 56, 30 imay be located interstitially between transfer chamber modules 18B, 18 iand may define suitable processing modules, load lock(s) LL, bufferstation(s), metrology station(s) or any other desired station(s). Forexample the interstitial modules, such as load locks 56A, 56 andworkpiece station 30 i, may each have stationary workpiecesupports/shelves 56S1, 56S2, 30S1, 30S2 that may cooperate with thetransport arms to effect transport or workpieces through the length ofthe transport chamber along linear axis X of the transport chamber. Byway of example, workpiece(s) may be loaded into the transport chamber416 by interface section 12. The workpiece(s) may be positioned on thesupport(s) of load lock module 56A with the transport arm 15 of theinterface section. The workpiece(s), in load lock module 56A, may bemoved between load lock module 56A and load lock module 56 by thetransport arm 26B in module 18B, and in a similar and consecutive mannerbetween load lock 56 and workpiece station 30 i with arm 26 i (in module18 i) and between station 30 i and station 412 with arm 26 i in module18 i. This process may be reversed in whole or in part to move theworkpiece(s) in the opposite direction. Thus, in one aspect, workpiecesmay be moved in any direction along axis X and to any position along thetransport chamber and may be loaded to and unloaded from any desiredmodule (processing or otherwise) communicating with the transportchamber. In other aspects, interstitial transport chamber modules withstatic workpiece supports or shelves may not be provided betweentransport chamber modules 18B, 18 i. In such aspects, transport arms ofadjoining transport chamber modules may pass off workpieces directlyfrom end effector or one transport arm to end effector of anothertransport arm to move the workpiece through the transport chamber. Theprocessing station modules may operate on the substrates through variousdeposition, etching, or other types of processes to form electricalcircuitry or other desired structure on the substrates. The processingstation modules are connected to the transport chamber modules to allowsubstrates (the terms workpiece and substrates may be interchangeablyused herein) to be passed from the transport chamber to the processingstations and vice versa. A suitable example of a processing tool withsimilar general features to the processing apparatus depicted in FIG. 1Dis described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,398,355, previously incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic illustration of a portion of anysuitable processing tool 390 is illustrated. Here the processing tool390 is substantially similar to one or more of the processing toolsdescribed above. Here the processing tool includes at least one processmodule or station 330 (which is substantially similar to process modules11030, PM described above) and at least one automatic wafer centering(AWC) station 311. The process module 330 is, in one aspect, a locationwithin a vacuum environment of the processing tool 390 while in otheraspects, the process module is a location within a controlled orisolated environment (e.g. an atmospheric environment) of the processingtool 390. The process module 330 includes or otherwise forms a substrateholding location 331. The substrate holding location 331 is located in apredetermined relationship with respect to one or more features of theprocess module 330 or any other suitable fixed location of theprocessing tool 390. In this aspect, for exemplary purposes, the fixedlocation corresponds to one or more reference surfaces RS1, RS2, RS3,RS4, RS5 of the process module 330. Here the substrate holding location331 is disposed a distance Xstn from reference surface RS4, RS5 and adistance Ystn from reference surface RS3. The distances Xstn, Ystnrepresent process module coordinates where the aspects of the disclosedembodiment identify (or otherwise transform) these process modulecoordinates to transfer robot coordinates R, θ so that a substrate S(e.g. a production substrate) is placed by the transfer robot 314 (thatis substantially similar to one or more of the transfer robots describedabove) at the substrate holding location 331. The term substrate is usedherein for descriptive purposes and can have any construction. In someaspects the substrate is a silicon wafer or generally a wafer workpiecesuch as used for fabrication. In one aspect, the term substrate as usedherein is not an article for material deposition (material is notdeposited on the substrate) or wafer fabrication such as where thesubstrate is a non-fabrication substrate constructed of metal, plastic,glass, or an instrumentation substrate, etc. In other aspects, thesubstrate is a dummy wafer such as, for example, a carbon fiber dummywafer. In one aspect, the dummy wafer may be any suitable finishedarticle with a configuration similar to or representative of a processor teaching wafer as otherwise described herein. In some aspects, thesubstrate is selected to minimize particle generation upon contact witha reference surface. As seen in FIG. 13, the teaching substrate (ornon-fabrication wafer-like article representing a fabrication waferduring teaching) may be selected from a number of different substrates.As may be seen from FIG. 13 that illustrates the substrate in differentexemplary configurations 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, 1312, in someaspects, the substrate is a different size (e.g. a smaller diameter) ora different shape than the production substrate. The teaching substrateST can be any shape such as round, square, rectangular, oblong,irregular, etc. In some aspects, the teaching substrate ST or substrateS includes one or more integral projections p or fingers for makingcontact with reference surfaces of the tool. In other aspects, theteaching substrate ST or substrate S may be shaped to extend around oneor more lift pins 1500-1502 in a manner similar to substrate 1550illustrated in FIG. 15F to effect automatic wafer centering (AWC) andautomatic teaching of substrate holding locations as described hereinwhere at least one of the lift pins 1500-1502 forms a deterministicstation feature similar to the deterministic station features 1610, 1611described herein.

The at least one automatic wafer centering (AWC) station 311 includesany suitable sensors for determining, for example, at least aneccentricity of the substrate S relative to, for example, apredetermined location of the transfer robot end effector 314E. In oneaspect the at least one AWC station 311 includes one or more sensors311S1, 311S2 for detecting one or more of a leading edge and a trailingedge of the substrate S (and/or a teaching substrate ST as will bedescribed below). The one or more sensors 311S1, 311S2 are any suitablesensors such as, for example, non-contact sensors (e.g. opticalreflective sensors, through beam sensors, capacitive sensors, inductivesensors or any other suitable sensors), cameras and CCD arrays. As maybe realized, while a pair (e.g. two) sensors 311S1, 311S2 areillustrated in FIG. 3 in other aspects the AWC station 311 includes anysuitable number of sensors disposed in any suitable arrangement relativeto each other and/or a substrate holding location 312 of the AWC station311. In other aspects, the at least one AWC station 311 is configured todetect an alignment fiducial of the substrate S and includes a rotarychuck RC on which the substrate is placed (e.g. by the end effector314E) for alignment of the fiducial and/or repositioning of thesubstrate S relative to the end effector 314E.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, an exemplary cluster processing toollayout is illustrated. The cluster processing tool is substantiallysimilar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. While the aspects of thedisclosed embodiment are described with respect to the cluster tool 390it should be understood that the aspects of the disclosed embodimentdescribed herein are equally applicable to the linear tools illustratedin FIGS. 1C and 1D. Generally, a position of the end effector 314E (e.g.in robot coordinates R, θ) is determined with, for example, feedbackfrom suitable encoder(s) ENC of the transfer robot drive DR that areconnected to drive shaft(s) DS that control movement of one or more ofthe arm links 314L1, 314L2 and end effector 314E of the transfer robot314. In other aspects, the position of the end effector 314E isdetermined in any suitable manner with any suitable encoders/sensorsdisposed at any suitable location relative to the transfer robot 314.

For exemplary purposes, at least the process modules 330 are connectedto the transfer chamber 11025 at about their respective nominallocations (e.g. the actual position of the process modules 330 isdetermined as described herein) relative to the transfer robot 314. Asmay be realized, the nominal locations of at least the process modules330 are known from, for example, CAD (computer aided drafting) models(or other suitable models) of the processing tool 390. In other aspectsthe locations of the process modules are known from as builtmeasurements of the processing tool (or components thereof such as theprocess modules 330). The “robot home position” (e.g. the fullyretracted position R of the transfer robot at a predetermined angle θwhere R is substantially equal to a distance of 0 and θ is substantiallyequal to an angle of 0) is generally defined with a mechanical homingfixture between the robot arm(s) 314A and a robot drive flange DF. Thedrive flange DF generally includes a mechanical interface MI withprecision locating features that position the robot home position at aknown nominal location relative to the processing tool 390. In otheraspects the robot home position is defined in any suitable manner. Assuch, initial or rough locations of at least each process module 330 inrobot coordinates R, θ are provided to, for example, the controller11091 based on the nominal locations (e.g. obtained from a model of theprocessing tool 390.

As may be realized the initial locations of the process modules 330 maynot be accurate enough for the transfer robot 314 to pick or place asubstrate S from a substrate holding location 331 of a process module330. For example, errors due to mechanical tolerance in the robot homingfixture, encoder accuracy, motor/end effector compliance, arm linklengths, thermal expansion (or contraction) of transfer robot componentsand station components are some illustrative contributing factors foraccuracy/positional errors. Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B to compensatefor the initial accuracy/position errors between the transfer robotpositioning/coordinate system and the process module 330 locations, asmaller size substrate (e.g. teaching substrate ST) is employed toeffect the automatic teaching of the disclosed embodiment. For example,the substrate S has a first size (radius R1) while the teachingsubstrate ST has a second size (radius R2) where radius R2 is smallerthan radius R1 by any suitable amount so that the teaching substrate STis capable of being detected by, for example, the sensors 311S1, 311S2(or any other suitable sensors) of the AWC station 311. In one aspectthe substrate S is a 300 mm wafer while the teaching substrate is a 200mm wafer while in other aspects the substrate S and teaching substrateST have any suitable sizes relative to each other. As can be seen inFIGS. 5A and 5B greater clearance is provided between the teachingsubstrate ST and, for example, walls/surfaces RS1, RS2, RS3 of theprocess module 330 (see FIG. 5B) than between the substrate S and thesurfaces RS1, RS2, RS3 of the process module 330 (see FIG. 5A). As maybe realized, the smaller size of the teaching substrate ST (compared tothe substrate S) allows the transfer robot 314 to insert the teachingsubstrate ST into the workspace domain of the process module 330 withoutinterference (e.g. considering the accuracy errors between the robotcoordinate system and the process module location noted above) betweenthe teaching substrate ST and the surfaces RS1, RS2, RS3 due to, forexample, the larger clearances provided by the smaller teachingsubstrate ST.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 the automatic (e.g. without operatorintervention) location or teaching of substrate holding stations will bedescribed in accordance with aspects of the disclosed embodiment. Toeffect the automatic location of substrate holding stations the teachingsubstrate ST, it's center being identified, for example, by location C2on the end effector 314E (whose center location is represented bylocation C1) of the transfer robot 314 with, for example, the AWCstation 311 (or any other suitable alignment station) (FIG. 9, Block900). In some aspects an initial offset may be induced between C1 and C2locations. In one aspect the location C1 substantially corresponds to,for example a predetermined initial point on the end effector 314E (suchas a center or any other suitable location including an offset) that hasa known relationship with a center C2 of the teaching substrate (ST) ofthe end effector 314E having coordinates R_(ee), θ_(ee) in the transferrobot coordinate system R, θ (e.g. transfer robot reference frame). Thecoordinates R_(ee), θ_(ee) are, in one aspect obtained from transferrobot encoder feedback while in other aspects the coordinates R_(ee),θ_(ee) are obtained in any suitable manner. In other aspects, withrespect to the alignment between the teaching substrate ST and the endeffector 314E, all that is needed is placement of the teaching substrateST on the end effector 314E so that the teaching substrate ST is withina detection range of the AWC sensors 31151, 31152 (or within the rangeof the sensors of any other suitable alignment station). The position ofthe AWC sensors may be previously known, or the transfer robot mayperform a base line pass with the teaching substrate to establish areference datum (AWC sensor) position.

A location of one or more of the reference surfaces RS1-RS5 of theprocess module 330 are identified for determining the location of thesubstrate holding location 331 of the process module (FIG. 9, Block910). As may be realized, each of the reference surfaces RS1-RS5 has aknown location (e.g. from CAD models or as built measurements) relativeto the substrate holding location 331 which allows for the determinationof the substrate holding location coordinates Xstn, Ystn. For example,if a location and/or orientation of any non-parallel pair of referencesurfaces RS1-RS5 is known, then the location of the substrate holdinglocation 331 coordinates Xstn, Ystn can be determined relative to thenon-parallel pair of reference surfaces RS1-RS5. In the identificationof the one or more reference surfaces RS1-RS5 the transfer robot 314moves the teaching substrate ST relative to a first one of thenon-parallel pair of reference surfaces, such as for example, referencesurface RS1, so as to induce a small mechanical interference between theteaching substrate ST and the first reference surface RS1 (FIG. 9, Block915). This small mechanical interference is effected by instructing,such as with controller 11091, the transfer arm 314 to move the endeffector in such a way so that the teaching substrate ST lightly taps(e.g. at reduced velocity or in order to minimize impact force) orotherwise engages the first reference surface RS1. Here the teachingsubstrate ST is biased by the reference surface RS1 so as to moverelative to the end effector 314E on which the teaching substrate ST iscarried to create a variance between location C1 and the resultinglocation C2 (e.g. a location of the center of the teaching substrate STafter the biased movement—a contact point) which has coordinates R_(w),θ_(w) in the transfer robot coordinate system R, θ.

As may be realized, the location C2 of the teaching substrate ST, afterbeing biased by the reference surface RS1, relative to the end effectorcoordinates R_(ee), θ_(ee) is not known from the transfer robot encoderfeedback. As such, an eccentricity vector e=(R_(ee), θ_(ee))−(R_(w),θ_(w)) is measured by, for example moving the substrate to the AWCstation 311 or any other suitable alignment station (FIG. 9, Block 920).As may be realized, the location of the teaching substrate ST at thesecond location or contact point C2 (R_(w), θ_(w)) is known as (R_(w),θ_(w))=(R_(ee), θ_(ee))−e. In one aspect, it is determined whethercontact was made between the reference surface RS1 and the teachingsubstrate ST (FIG. 9, Block 925). For example, a comparison is madebetween an eccentricity vector e_(bf) before teaching substrate contactwith the reference surface RS1 and an eccentricity vector e_(af) afterteaching substrate contact with the reference surface RS1. In oneaspect, the eccentricity vector e_(bf) is measured when the teachingsubstrate ST is substantially centered on the end effector 314E (seeFIG. 9, Block 900) while in other aspects the eccentricity e_(bf) ismeasured at any suitable time before the teaching substrate ST contactsthe reference surface RS1. As may be realized, the eccentricity vectore_(af) is measured after an attempt to make contact between teachingsubstrate ST and the reference surface RS1. The condition to detectcontact is defined as (e_(af)−e_(bf))> tolerance where the tolerance isthe acceptable predetermined eccentricity measurement tolerance/error(or any other suitable substrate) on the end effector 314E. If thecondition to detect contact is not met another attempt to establishcontact between the teaching substrate ST and the same reference surfaceRS1 at the same location R_(ee), θ_(ee) is performed (see FIG. 9, Blocks915-925) and continues to be repeated until contact is established atthat location R_(ee), θ_(ee). Once contact is established the locationof the reference surface RS1 at the point R_(ee), θ_(ee) is determined(FIG. 9, Block 930) based on, for example, a known diameter/radius ofthe teaching substrate, the eccentricity vector e and the end effectorcoordinates R_(ee), θ_(ee).

As may be realized, to determine the coordinates Xstn, Ystn of thesubstrate holding location 331 in robot coordinates R, θ a locationand/or orientation of a second reference surface RS1-RS5 is determinedin a manner substantially similar to that described above (FIG. 9, Block900-930) where the second reference surface RS1-RS5 is oriented to crossor intersect (e.g. substantially perpendicular) to the first referencesurface RS1-RS5. As an example, in the above scenario the firstreference surface is reference surface RS1 which allows one or more ofthe reference surfaces RS2, RS4, RS5 to serve as the second referencesurface. Determining the location of two intersecting reference surfacesprovides the location of a station reference point SRP1, SRP2, SRP3,SRP4 (e.g. an intersection between the two reference surfaces which maybe offset from (see reference lines RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4, RL5) an actualintersection of the two reference surfaces by an amount equal to theteaching substrate ST radius R2) that has a known relationship with thesubstrate holding location Xstn, Ystn (in process module coordinates)such that the location of the substrate holding location Xstn, Ystn inrobot coordinates R, θ is determined in any suitable manner (FIG. 9,Block 940). For exemplary purposes only, depending on the determinedstation reference point SRP1, SRP2, SRP3, SRP4 the incremental distancesΔX, ΔY (e.g. in the process module coordinate system, determined fromthe known relationship between the substrate holding location 331 andthe reference points SRP1-SRP4, see FIG. 8) are added to or subtractedfrom the coordinates of the determined station reference point SRP1(X_(SRP12), Y_(SRP14)), SRP2 (X_(SRP12), Y_(SRP23)), SRP3 (X_(SRP34),Y_(SRP23)), SRP4 (X_(SRP34), Y_(SRP14)).

As may be realized, in one aspect one or more contact points along acommon reference surface are used to determine the location of thecommon reference surface. Referring now to FIG. 8, the reference surfaceRS1 is determined by identifying two or more contact points C2A (havingcoordinates R_(W), θ_(W)), C2B (having coordinates R_(W1), θ_(W1)). Forexample, a first contact point C2A is identified with respect toreference surface RS1 in a manner substantially similar to thatdescribed above (FIG. 10, Blocks 900-925) and at least a second contactpoint C2B is also identified with respect to reference surface RS1 in amanner substantially similar to that described above (FIG. 10, Blocks900-925). Once the two or more contact points C2A, C2B are established,a reference line or contour RL1 is calculated based on the coordinatesof the two or more contact points C2A, C2B and a location andorientation of the reference surface RS1 is established (FIG. 10, Block1000). As may be realized, the contact points C2A, C2B establish arespective reference line or contour RL1 that is substantially parallelto and offset from (e.g. by a distance substantially equal to a radiusR2 of the teaching substrate ST) the reference surface RS1 (which iscommon to the contact points C2A, C2B). In one aspect the reference lineor contour RL1 is calculated with a Least-squares Fit using a measuredsample larger than 2 or in any other suitable manner. The location andorientation of the reference surface RS1 is determined in any suitablemanner from the location and orientation of the reference line RL1 andthe known radius R2 of the teaching substrate ST.

In a manner similar to that described above the location and orientationof a second reference surface RS1-RS5 (substantially perpendicular tothe first reference surface) is determined to establish one or more ofthe station reference points SRP1-SRP3. As an example, in the abovescenario the first reference surface is reference surface RS1 whichallows one or more of the reference surfaces RS2, RS4, RS5 to serve asthe second reference surface. As an example, the reference surface RS2is determined by identifying two or more contact points C3A (havingcoordinates R_(W2), θ_(W2)), C3B (having coordinates R_(W3), θ_(W3)).For example, a first contact point C3A is identified with respect toreference surface RS2 in a manner substantially similar to thatdescribed above (FIG. 10, Blocks 900-925) and at least a second contactpoint C3B is also identified with respect to reference surface RS2 in amanner substantially similar to that described above (FIG. 10, Blocks900-925). Once the two or more contact points C3A, C3B are established,a reference line or contour RL2 is calculated based on the coordinatesof the two or more contact points C3A, C3B and a location andorientation of the reference surface RS2 is established (FIG. 10, Block1000). As may be realized, the contact points C3A, C3B establish arespective reference line or contour RL2 that is substantially parallelto and offset from (e.g. by a distance substantially equal to a radiusR2 of the teaching substrate ST) the reference surface RS2 (which iscommon to the contact points C3A, C3B). In one aspect the reference lineor contour RL2 is calculated with a Least-squares Fit using a measuredsample larger than 2 or in any other suitable manner. The location andorientation of the reference surface RS2 is determined in any suitablemanner from the location and orientation of the reference line RL2 andthe known radius R2 of the teaching substrate ST.

As described above, determining the location of two perpendicularreference surfaces or reference lines RL1-RL5 provides the location of astation reference point SRP1, SRP2, SRP3, SRP4 (e.g. an intersectionbetween the two reference surfaces which may be offset (see e.g.reference lines RL1, RL2) from an actual intersection of the tworeference surfaces by an amount equal to the teaching substrate STradius R2) that has a known relationship (e.g. from CAD models or asbuilt measurement) with the substrate holding location Xstn, Ystn (inprocess module coordinates) such that the location of the substrateholding location Xstn, Ystn in robot coordinates R, θ is determined inany suitable manner (FIG. 10, Block 940). For exemplary purposes only,depending on the determined station reference point SRP1, SRP2, SRP3,SRP4 the incremental distances ΔX, ΔY (e.g. in the process modulecoordinate system, determined from the known relationship between thesubstrate holding location 331 and the reference points SRP1-SRP4) areadded to or subtracted from the coordinates of the determined stationreference point SRP1 (X_(SRP12), Y_(SRP14)), SRP2 (X_(SRP12),Y_(SRP23)), SRP3 (X_(SRP34), Y_(SRP23)), SRP4 (X_(SRP34), Y_(SRP14))(see FIG. 6A).

As may be realized, the determined location of the substrate holdinglocation 331 in process module coordinates X, Y is translated totransfer robot coordinates R, θ in any suitable manner. For example, thelocation of each of the station reference points SRP1-SRP4 are known inprocess module coordinates from for example, a CAD model of theprocessing tool 390. As such, the location of the substrate holdinglocation Xstn, Ystn is known relative to each of the station referencepoints SRP1-SRP4. The reference lines RL1-RL5 (and the correspondingstation reference points SRP1-SRP4) allow for the identification of thetransformation between the transfer robot coordinates system R, θ (andthe tool coordinate system) and the process module coordinate system X,Y given the teaching substrate radius R2.

In one aspect the locations of two or more reference surfaces aredetermined and compared to determine the parallelism (e.g. of sidereference surface RS1 with side reference surface RS3, of frontreference surface RS4 and/or RS5 with back reference surface RS2 and/orof front reference surface RS4 with front reference surface RS5) and/orperpendicularity of the references surfaces (e.g. of side referencesurfaces RS1 and/or RS3 with one or more of front reference surface RS4,RS5 and back reference surface RS2). In addition, the locationdetermination of two or more reference surfaces provides for thevalidation/confirmation of the substrate holding location 331. Forexample, the location of the substrate holding location 331 isdetermined in a first calculation/determination from reference surfacesRS1 and RS2 as described above and verified in a secondcalculation/determination by determining the location of the substrateholding location 331 using, for example, reference surfaces RS3 and RS5in a manner substantially similar to that described above. As will bedescribed below, in one aspect, the results of the first and secondcalculations/determinations are merged or otherwise averaged to definethe location of the substrate holding location 331 (or any othersuitable station features of the process module 330) based on the knowndimensional relationships between the reference surfaces and thesubstrate holding location 331 (or other suitable station features).

As may be realized, the reference surfaces of the process module 330 aredescribed herein as the side, front and back walls of the process module330 however, in other aspects the reference surfaces are teachingfeatures of the walls such as contoured position deterministic featuresRS1F1, RS1F2, RS2F1, RS2F2, RS3F1, RS3F2, etc. (see FIG. 5B—e.g. such asone or more shapes of or on the wall, one or more pins, one or moreprotrusions, etc.) that cause a deterministic eccentricity vector e(e.g. the vector direction and magnitude when starting frompredetermined initial substrate locations is constant and does not varywith a contact angle between the teaching substrate and surface) and theeccentricity vector e is determinative or defines the shape of the wallwhen, for example, the teaching substrate ST taps the contoured positiondeterministic features. For example, referring to FIG. 5C, the wall 330Wof the process module 330 (which may be a side, front or back wall) isshaped so as to provide contoured position deterministic (e.g. contactwith a dimensionally known substrate, from a known position on the endeffector, produces a deterministic position relative to contouredfeatures) features F1, F2 which are in the form of one or more pairs ofprotrusions. FIG. 5D, for exemplary purposes, illustrates the wall 330Whaving contoured position deterministic features F1, F2 which are in theform of one or more pin couples (e.g. two pins form each features F1,F2). As may be realized, the contoured position deterministic featuresF1, F2 are in a known position with respect to the wall 330W on whichthey are located and/or in a known location with the substrate holdinglocation 331. As such, when the teaching substrate ST is brought intocontact with one or more contoured position deterministic feature F1, F2(in a manner substantially similar to that described above) theeccentricity vector e remains constant relative to the one or morecontoured position deterministic feature F1, F2 while the angularity ofthe eccentricity vector e changes relative to the end effector 314E asthe teaching substrate ST is moved (through contact with the one or morecontoured position deterministic feature F1, F2) relative to the endeffector. For example, when the teaching substrate taps the contouredposition deterministic features F1, F2 the eccentricity vector e1, e2 ismeasured by, for example, the AWC station 311. The eccentricity vectore1, e2 is used to determine the location of the end effector relative tothe teaching substrate ST and the wall(s) 330W for determining thelocation of the substrate holding location 331 as described herein. Asmay be realized, the contoured position deterministic features F1, F2are, in one aspect, integrated or inherent in the configuration of theprocess module 330 structure (e.g. part of the walls 330W) or, in otheraspects, the contoured position deterministic features are added toprocess module PM structure. As may also be realized, the contouredposition deterministic features F1, F2 are positioned so as not tointerfere with the transfer of substrates S to and from the processmodule 330 or with the processes performed within the process module330.

Referring also to FIG. 5E, the walls of the process module 330 arecontoured so as to define a non-deterministic curved wall or surface(e.g. the radius R2 of the substrate ST is smaller than the radius RW ofthe wall such that the location of the substrate upon contacting thewall lacks a predetermined relation with the substrate holding locationXstn, Ystn) where each curved wall RS1′, RS2′, RS3′ has a respectiveradius RW and a center point RSC, shown with respect to wall RS1′ forexemplary purposes only. Each center point RSC has a predeterminedspatial relationship with respect to the substrate holding locationXstn, Ystn such that when the center point RSC is determined thelocation of the substrate holding location Xstn, Ystn is also known. Inone aspect, the center point RSC is determined in a manner substantiallysimilar to that described above, such as by determining more than onepoint along one or more walls RS1′, RS2′, RS3′ to determine one or morereference lines RL1′, RL2′, RL3′ (that are, e.g., similar to referencelines RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4 in FIG. 6). The reference lines RL1′, RL2′,RL3′ have radii RW′ that correspond to the respective radii RW of thewalls RS1′, RS2′, RS3′ and as such the center point RSC′ of thereference lines RL1′, RL2′, RL3′ has a known predetermined relation withthe respective center point RSC of the wall RS1′, RS2′, RS3′. In oneaspect, because each curved wall RS1′, RS2′, RS3′ (and the respectivereference line RL1′, RL2′, RL3′) provides a center point RSC, RSC′ thatis in a known relationship with the substrate holding location Xstn,Ystn, once the center point (either RSC or RSC′) is determined for oneof the walls RS1′, RS2′, RS3′ the location of the substrate holdinglocation Xstn, Ystn can be determined. In other aspects, the centerpoint RSC, RSC′ for subsequent walls is determined to, for example,verify the location of the substrate holding location Xstn, Ystn.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 11A-11B, an exemplary auto-teachcalculation will be described in accordance with one or more aspects ofthe disclosed embodiment. In the exemplary auto-teach calculationdescribed herein the substrate holding location 331 will be determinedwith the teaching substrate ST with respect to reference surfaces RS1,RS2, RS3 where at least the θ location of the substrate holding locationis determined without reliance on the known relational dimensions of theprocess module 330 where the result of the position determination of thesubstrate holding location 331 is verified. As can be seen in thefigures points R₁, θ₁ and R₂, θ₂ are illustrated the wafer centerlocations at the contact point with reference surfaces RS1 and RS2,respectively. Locations R₁, θ₁ and R₂, θ₂ can be determined as describedby the method in FIG. 12. The auto-teach calculation is, in one aspect,divided into a theta auto-teach portion and a radial auto-teach portionwhere end effector 314E (see e.g. FIG. 3) and hence teaching substrateST (or any other suitable substrate) motion is induced (FIG. 12, Block1200) to purposely establish contact between the teaching substrate STand the reference surface(s), thereby causing the teaching substrate STto slide or otherwise move relative to the end effector 314E (FIG. 12,Block 1210). The location of the angular location θ_(ST) of thesubstrate holding location 331 can be determined (FIG. 12, Block 1235)by averaging the angular locations of each contact point θ₁ and θ₂ asin:

$\begin{matrix}{\theta_{STN} = \left\lbrack \frac{\theta_{1} + \theta_{2}}{2} \right\rbrack} & \lbrack 1\rbrack\end{matrix}$

The radial location R_(STN) of the substrate holding location 331 isdetermined (FIG. 12, Block 1240) using θ_(STN) where the transfer robot314 is rotated so that an axis of extension/retraction of the endeffector is along a direction corresponding to θ_(STN) as can be seen inFIG. 11E can be determined based on the radius of the teachingsubstrate. Here end effector 314E (and teaching substrate ST) motion isinduced generally in the X direction to purposely establish contactbetween the teaching substrate ST and the reference surface RS3, therebycausing the teaching substrate ST to slide or otherwise be displaced byan amount Δl_(F) relative to the end effector 314E. The radial contactbetween the teaching substrate ST and the reference surface RS3 occursat a radial extension of R-Δl_(F), where Δl_(F) is the displacement (asdetermined by AWC station 311 and/or by any suitable sensors mounted onthe end effector or any other eccentricity measuring method (alignerperhaps)) of the teaching substrate ST relative to the end effector 314Eat an angle of extension/retraction of θ_(STN) and where R is chosen toassure contact of the teaching substrate ST with the reference surfaceRS3 so that the origin of the distance X is determined. It is noted thatpoint 3 (e.g. R₃, θ₃) in FIGS. 11A and 11B corresponds to the location(R-Δl_(F)), θ_(STN). As such, the extension location R_(STN) of thesubstrate holding location 331 is determined based on the radius r ofthe teaching substrate ST with the following equationR _(STN) =X−r  [2]

Referring now also to FIGS. 14A-14B, there is shown respective planviews of an end effector 1414E, 1414E′ such as may be included in thesubstrate transport apparatus or robot 314 (see FIG. 3) of theprocessing apparatus as previously described. As may be realized, theend effector 1414E, 1414E′ may include a suitable chuck 1414C, 1414C′(e.g. a passive ease gripping chuck 1414C, with substrate ease grippingfeatures 1402-1406, a representative example of which is shown in FIG.14A). In accordance with another aspect, the end effector 1414E′ mayhave substrate engagement pads 1408-1412, disposed to engage a backsideof the substrates, handled by the robot during production, asillustrated in FIG. 14B. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosedembodiment, the teaching substrate ST, has effector offset features thatposition the teaching substrate ST on the end effector with a verticaloffset or gap GP formed between the substrate ST and chuck 1414C, 1414C′of the end effector 1414E, 1414E′. This is illustrated in FIGS. 15A-15C,which show respective views of the teaching substrate ST seated on theend effector 1414E, 1414E′ in accordance with different aspects. Thebottom of the teaching substrate ST (FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate differentrepresentations of the teaching substrate 1502, 1506, 1510) hasprojection 1504, 1508, 1512 configured to engage the end effector, andstably support the teaching substrate ST thereon, without engagementbetween the teaching substrate ST and chuck features of the endeffector. This facilitates slip between the teaching substrate and endeffector, unrestrained by the substrate retention features of the chuck1414C, 1414C′. The offset features or projection of the teachingsubstrate may be configured to minimize engagement forces/bias (e.g.friction) between teaching substrate and end effector (e.g. projection1504, 1508, 1512 in FIGS. 15A-15B. As seen from FIGS. 15D-15E, showingbottom perspective views of teaching substrates ST, the projectionfeatures 1516, 1518 may be suitably distributed on the teachingsubstrate so that gripping forces are evenly distributed on theprojections resulting in uniform slip 108 in a single linear directionbetween substrate and end effector. The projection may be integrallyformed with the substrate, or added thereto. In other aspects, the chuckon the end effector may be modified to resolve the engagement featurewith the teaching substrate.

Referring now to FIG. 16, a station auto-teach process will be describedin accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. In one aspect atleast two deterministic station features 1610, 1611 are located in aknown relation relative to a substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn)to effect auto-teaching the substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn)in situ to the substrate holding station such as the portion ofprocessing tool 1600 as described herein. The portion of the processingtool 1600 is, in one aspect, substantially similar to process modules11030, PM described above. In this aspect, the portion of a processingtool 1600 includes two chambers 1601, 1602 where each chamber 1601, 1602includes stacked substrate holding supports 1620A, 1620B correspondingto respective substrate holding locations (e.g. located one above theother at X_(stn), Y_(stn)). In other aspects, each chamber 1601, 1602includes more or less than two substrate holding supports. In thisaspect each substrate holding support 1620A, 1620B is a split supporthaving a portion 1620A1, 1620B1 on one side of the chamber 1601 and aportion 1620A2, 1620B2 on an opposing side of the chamber 1601 where apassage is disposed between the portions 1620A1, 1620A2 and 1620B1,1620B2 to, for example, allow an end effector to pass between theportions 1620A1, 1620A2 and 1620B1, 1620B2. In other aspects, thesubstrate holding supports are a continuous support spanning betweenopposing sides of the chamber 1601, 1602. Here the substrate holdingsupports 1620A, 1620B are edge gripping supports configured to grip anedge of a substrate placed on the respective substrate holding supports1620A, 1620B while in other aspects one or more of the substrate holdingsupports 1620A, 1620B includes substrate lift pins, such as lift pins1500-1502 illustrated in FIG. 15F for supporting a substrate.

In one aspect, the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 areconnected to a substrate holding support, such as the bottom-mostsubstrate holding support 1620B and are located outside of a substratetransfer path (e.g. for picking and placing substrates to and from thesubstrate holding supports 1620A, 1620A) while being within a range ofmotion of a substrate transport apparatus that picks and places thesubstrates from and to the substrate holding supports 1620A, 1620B. Inone aspect, the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 are integrallyformed with the substrate holding support 1620B while in other aspectsthe deterministic station features 1610, 1611 are coupled to thesubstrate holding support in any suitable manner. In one aspect, thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 are removable for replacementof the deterministic station features 1610, 1611. Referring also toFIGS. 16A-16D the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 have anysuitable shape which when contacted by, for example, the substrate S orteaching substrate ST locates a center of the substrate S or teachingsubstrate ST in a known location. For example, the deterministic stationfeatures 1610, 1611 deterministically define a predetermined position ofthe substrate S or teaching substrate ST in contact with thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611, which predetermined positionhas a predetermined relation with and identifies the substrate holdinglocation X_(stn), Y_(stn) (e.g. of the substrate holding station).

In one aspect, the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 are roundpins as illustrated in FIG. 16A while in other aspects the as shown inFIGS. 16B and 16C, the deterministic station features 1610A, 1611A and1610B, 1611B are discontinuous curved contact surfaces. In still otheraspects, the deterministic station features 1610C form a continuouscontact surface configured to contact the edge of the substrate S orteaching substrate ST at two points for defining the predeterminedposition of the substrate S or teaching substrate ST. The deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 are placed (e.g. spaced apart) on thesubstrate holding support 1620B and/or configured so as to contact acurved edge of the substrate S or teaching substrate ST where thesubstrate is in a predetermined orientation relative to an end effector314E of a substrate transport apparatus, such as transfer robot 314, sothat a flat or notch on the substrate S, or teaching substrate ST islocated, for example, between the deterministic station features 1610,1611. In other aspects, such as where the deterministic station featuresform curved surfaces as shown in FIGS. 16B-16D the substrate, such asteaching substrate ST includes pins 1650, 1651 that contact the curvedsurfaces for defining the predetermined position of the teachingsubstrate ST with the pins 1650, 1651 of the teaching substrate ST incontact with the deterministic station features, which predeterminedposition has a predetermined relation with and identifies the substrateholding location X_(stn), Y_(stn) (e.g. the substrate holding station).

In another aspect, referring to FIGS. 17A-17C, the deterministic stationfeatures 1610, 1611 are disposed on or are integrally formed with analignment fixture 1700 that can be picked and placed to and from asubstrate holding station by, for example, end effector 314E of thesubstrate transfer robot 314. In this aspect, the alignment fixture istransported to and from the substrate holding station by the substratetransfer robot 314 while maintaining the integrity of the processingenvironment within the substrate holding station (and any transferchamber the alignment fixture moves through—e.g. a frame of thesubstrate holding station does not have to be opened for placement ofthe alignment fixture thereby exposing the interior of the substrateholding station to, for example, an atmospheric environment). In oneaspect the alignment fixture 1700 includes kinematic alignment features,such as for example, at least one slot 1710 and recess 1715 that locateand fix the alignment fixture 1700 in a predetermined position relativeto the substrate holding station. For example, in one aspect, thesubstrate holding station includes substrate lift pins, such as liftpins 1500-1502 illustrated in FIG. 15F, on which a substrate issupported. At least two of the lift pins 1500-1502 engage the at leastone slot 1710 and recess 1715 for kinematically locating the alignmentfixture 1700. As an example, one lift pin 1500-1502 engages the recess1715 to fix the alignment fixture in, for example, the X and Y axes andat least one other lift pin 1500-1502 engages the at least one slot 1710to fix the alignment fixture in rotation RT so that the deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 have a predetermined location relative tothe substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn) of the substrate holdingstation.

Referring now to FIGS. 18A, 18B, 19 and 20, in one aspect, thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 are provided on or otherwisefixed to a substrate holding station, as described above. Thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 are shaped todeterministically define a predetermined position of the substrate S, STin contact with the deterministic station features 1610, 1611, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifiesthe substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn) of the substrate holdingstation. In this aspect teaching of the substrate holding locationX_(stn), Y_(stn) in situ to the substrate holding station is effected byiterative contact (e.g. bumping or touching where the iterative contactmay be referred to as bump touch) between the substrate S, ST and thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 rather than through adetermination of a set of datum features (such as a wall of thesubstrate station that has a non-unique or substantially infinitesolution relative to the substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn)when contacted by the substrate S, ST). In this aspect a unique solutionwith respect to the position of the substrate holding location X_(stn),Y_(stn) is algebraically defined from deterministic characteristics(e.g. corners, radii, etc. as described with respect to, for example,FIGS. 16A-16D) of the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 incombination with, for example, the shape of the substrate S, ST.

As described above, the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 arelocated in a known position relative to the substrate holding locationX_(stn), Y_(stn) of the substrate holding station. A substrate, such asteaching substrate ST or substrate S in contact with the deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 has a center WC that is a known distancefrom each of the deterministic station features 1610, 1611. For example,the center WC of the substrate ST, S is a distance RD (e.g. equal to theradius of the substrate ST, S) away from the deterministic stationfeatures 1610, 1611. As the distance RD is known and the relationshipbetween the locations X_(P1), Y_(P1) and X_(P2), Y_(P2) of thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 is known relative to thesubstrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn) the location of the wafercenter WC relative to the substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn) isalso known. In one aspect, as will be described in greater detail below,a substrate transport apparatus, such as those described above, iscontrolled by any suitable controller, such as controller 11091, totransport a substrate S, ST on at least one end effector of thesubstrate transport apparatus so that the substrate S, ST iterativelyapproaches the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 until thesubstrate S, ST contacts both of the deterministic station features1610, 1611. In each iteration, the substrate transport apparatusapproaches the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 and theeccentricity e of the substrate S, ST is measured in any suitablemanner, such as with automatic wafer centering sensors disposed in oraround the substrate holding station, such as the portion of theprocessing tool 1600 illustrated in FIG. 16. In one aspect, each processmodule or station 330, such as the portion of the processing tool 1600,includes one or more sensors 311S1, 311S2 as described above fordetecting one or more of a leading edge and a trailing edge of thesubstrate S to effect automatic wafer centering so that automatic wafercentering measurements are taken at each station as the substrate S, STis moved into and out of the process module or station 330. In otheraspects, there is a common automatic wafer centering, such as automaticwafer centering (AWC) station 311, for more than one process module orstation 330. Suitable examples of automatic wafer centering can be foundin, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,990,430, 7,859,685, 7,925,378,7,894,657, 8,125,652, 8,253,948, 8,270,702, 8,634,633 and 8,934,706 aswell as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/325,702 filed on Jul. 8,2014 the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties. In other aspects, any suitable substrate aligner maybe used to determine the eccentricity of the substrate S, ST such as forexample, a rotary aligner that is disposed within the substrate holdingstation or integral with the end effector 314E.

The iterative process is repeated until the wafer eccentricity econverges to a value within a predetermined tolerance such as forexample, an automated wafer centering sensor measurement/signalprocessing noise or, for example, about ±150 μm (e.g. the eccentricity ereaches a steady state or a common eccentricity with substantially nochange, subject to the predetermined tolerance, between iterations)where the eccentricity e from the iterative touching/contact with thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 identifies the substrateholding location X_(stn), Y_(stn).

In one aspect, at least one substrate S, ST is substantially centered ata respective location EC on the end effector 314E of the transfer robot314 in a manner similar o that described above, such as with station 311or with automatic wafer centering sensors located at or around theportion of the processing tool 1600. In one aspect, the transfer robot314 carries at least one substrate S, ST on at least one end effector314E and iteratively moves the at least one substrate towards thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 as illustrated by stage 1 ofthe automatic teaching process in FIG. 20 (FIG. 21, Block 2100). In oneaspect the substrate transfer robot 314 moves the at least one substrateS, ST towards the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 from acommon direction 1816. In one aspect, the common direction 1816 is asubstantially straight line path while in other aspects the commondirection 1816 is a curved path. After each iteration the eccentricity eof the at least one substrate S, ST is measured, as described above,relative to the end effector 314E (e.g. to confirm the eccentricity ofthe substrate relative to, for example, a transport apparatus coordinatesystem) (FIG. 21, Block 2105). In one aspect, where it is determinedthat the eccentricity has not changed from one iteration to the next,such as prior to contact with one or more of the deterministic stationfeatures 1610, 1611, the substrate S, ST may remain on the end effector314E at the previously centered location on the end effector 314E. Inother aspects, where it is determined that the eccentricity has changedfrom one iteration to the next, such as after contact with one or moreof the deterministic station features 1610, 1611, the substrate S, STmay be repositioned on the end effector 314E in any suitable manner,such as that described above, so that the center of the substrate WC issubstantially coincident with an end effector reference point EC (e.g. arobot position) at the start of each iteration so that the substrate isin a known relation to the end effector 314E.

The location of the substrate transfer robot 314, such as the endeffector reference point EC and/or the location of the substrate S, STis tracked for each iterative move (FIG. 20 illustrates the iterativelocations of the substrate center WC), in any suitable manner, such asby as controller 11091 connected to at least the substrate transferrobot 314. Blocks 2100, 2105 of FIG. 21 are repeated until a first oneof the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 is contacted (FIG. 21,Block 2110) as determined by, for example, an initial change ineccentricity e which is reflected in FIG. 20 at the transition fromstage 1 to stage 2 of the automatic teaching process. It should beunderstood that the eccentricity e is generated or induced between theend effector 314E and the substrate S, ST as the end effector 314Econtinues to move after the substrate S, ST contacts one or more of thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611. The first one of thedeterministic station features 1610, 1611 is iteratively contacted (FIG.21, Block 2115) and the eccentricity e of the substrate S, ST isdetermined after each iteration (FIG. 21, Block 2120) until theeccentricity e converges to within a predetermined range, such as forexample, about ±150 μm or to within the measurement/signal noise of theautomatic wafer centering sensor, such as sensors 311S1, 311S2. Once thedetermined eccentricity e of the substrate S, ST is within thepredetermined range (e.g. the eccentricity resolves to the commoneccentricity) the substrate is determined to be in contact with both ofthe deterministic station features 1610, 1611 (FIG. 21, Block 2125). Itshould be understood that while two determinist station features aredescribed herein in other aspects there may be more than twodeterministic station features arranged for simultaneous contact withthe substrate S, ST.

Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B one or more of the center WC of thesubstrate S, ST and the position EC of the substrate transfer robot 314are determined in the transport apparatus coordinate system based on thecommon eccentricity (FIG. 21, Block 2130). For example, the centerposition of the wafer WC is substantially equal to the robot position ECplus the eccentricity e. As such, the centered position Xc, Yc of thesubstrate transport apparatus reference point EC can be determined fromthe following equation:(Xc,Yc)=(X _(EC) ,Y _(EC))−(ΔX,ΔY)  [3]

where ΔX, ΔY is the common eccentricity and Xec, Yec is the location ofthe end effector reference point EC in the X,Y coordinate frame of, forexample, the substrate holding station (see FIG. 18A). In one aspect,the position of the end effector reference point EC can be determined ina manner substantially similar to that described in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,925,378 and 6,990,430, previously incorporated herein by reference.The location of the end effector reference point EC corresponding to Xc,Yc is translated to transfer robot coordinates R, θ in any suitablemanner for determining the teach location R_(stn), θ_(stn)(corresponding to the substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn)) (FIG.21, Block 2135) and because there is a predetermined relationshipbetween the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 and the stationholding location(R _(stn),θ_(stn))=(Rc,θc)+(ΔR,Δθ)  [4]

where Rc, θc corresponds to Xc, Yc in the substrate transport coordinatesystem, ΔR is the difference between the transport apparatus radialextension values RS2 and RS1 (e.g. ΔR=RS2−RS1) and Δθ is the differencebetween the transport apparatus rotation values θS1 and θS2 (e.g.Δθ=θS2−θS1).

While the automatic teaching of the station holding location isdescribed above with respect to a single end effector, it should beunderstood that the above-described automatic station holding locationteaching process is applicable to end effectors having multiplesubstrates holders where the multiple substrate holders share a commondrive axis. For example, referring again to FIG. 2E, each end effector219E has, e.g., two substrate holders that hold substrates S, ST in aside by side arrangement. The respective articulated arm 219A, 219B iscontrolled by, for example, controller 11091 so as to move thesubstrates S, ST into their respective processing stations (which in oneaspect are each similar to those described above) so that each substrateS, ST is iteratively moved toward the respective deterministic stationfeatures 1610, 1611 in a common direction, as described above, with atleast one common drive of the substrate transport apparatus. Theeccentricity e is tracked for each respective substrate held by the endeffector 219E and the location of the station holding location for eachsubstrate S, ST is determined in a manner that is substantially similarto that described above with respect to FIG. 21.

Referring to FIGS. 22A-22C the vertical or Z coordinate of the substrateholding station such as the portion of processing tool 1600 may bedetermined or taught in a manner substantially similar to that describedherein where the substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled by, forexample, controller 11091 to move the substrate S, ST into contact withone or more of the deterministic station features 1610, 1611 or one ormore lift pins, such as lift pins 1500-1502, of the substrate stationwhile also moving the substrate S, ST in the Z direction. In thisaspect, the substrate S, ST is placed on the end effector 314E of thesubstrate transfer robot 314 so that the substrate S, ST has a knownrelationship relative to the end effector 314E (FIG. 23, Block 2300). Inone aspect, for example, the substrate transfer robot 314 is controlledto move the substrate S, ST in a combined radial R and Z axis move sothat the substrate S, ST contacts one or more of the deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 or one or more of the lift pins 1500-1502(FIG. 23, Block 2305). The substrate transfer robot 314 continues thecombined radial R and Z axis move to induce movement of the substrate S,ST (which is in contact with the one or more of the deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 or one or more of the lift pins 1500-1502)relative to the end effector (FIG. 23, Block 2310). The substrate S, STis lifted by substrate transfer robot 314 so that the substrate S, STtravels vertically past a top of the one or more of the deterministicstation features 1610, 1611 or one or more of the lift pins 1500-1502 atwhich point the substrate S, ST stops moving relative to the endeffector as the end effector continues to move in the combined radial Rand Z directions (FIG. 23, Block 2315). The relative movement ΔRMbetween the end effector 314E and the substrate S, ST along the radial Rdirection (e.g. ΔRM=RM1−RM2) is determined in any suitable manner, suchas by the automatic wafer centering sensors described above where ARM iscompared to the total radial motion TRM of the end effector 314E todetermine where the substrate S, ST stopped moving relative to the endeffector 314E (FIG. 23, Block 2320). It is noted that the movement ofthe substrate transfer robot 314 end effector 314E in the combinedradial R and Z directions is coordinated by, for example, the controller11091 such that the Z height of the end effector 314E is known for anygiven radial position of the end effector 314E so that the Z height ofthe top of the one or more of the deterministic station features 1610,1611 or one or more of the lift pins 1500-1502 (and thus the teachheight of the substrate holding station) is determined from thedifference between the total radial movement TRM and the relativemovement ARM (FIG. 23, Block 2325). As may be realized, the Z coordinateof the substrate holding station is taught with respect to the substrateholding station reference frame (e.g. it is dependent on a locationdetermination of a feature of the substrate holding station itself). Assuch, the resolution of the taught Z coordinate of the substrate holdingstation is independent of the as built variances of the arm/end effectorconfiguration. Examples of the as built variances include arm drop orsag, end effector level, tilt and/or twist. It is noted that the asbuilt variances are present and are substantially constant during theteaching of the substrate holding station X, Y and Z coordinates and arein effect cancelled.

Referring to FIGS. 27A-27C the vertical or Z coordinate of the substrateholding station such as the portion of processing tool 1600 may bedetermined in a manner substantially similar to that described hereinwhere the substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled by, for example,controller 11091 to move the substrate S, ST into contact with one ormore of the deterministic station features/lift pins 2710, 2711 (whichmay be substantially similar to the deterministic station features/liftpins 1710, 1711, 1501-1502, 1610, 1611 described above) of the substratestation at one or more heights in the Z direction. In this aspect, thesubstrate S, ST includes a substantially flat peripheral surface STE andthe free end of the deterministic station features 2710, 2711 is tapered(e.g. includes a first surface SS1 and a second surface SS2 that areangled relative to each other). In other aspects the substrate S, ST mayinclude a contoured or rounded peripheral surface as shown in, e.g.,FIGS. 22A-22C. The peripheral surface STE of the substrate S, ST isconfigured so that the substrate S, ST contacts the deterministicstation feature(s) 2710, 2711 at a predetermined, known location on thesubstrate (e.g. top or bottom edge of the substantially flat peripheralsurface STE or on a tangent of the rounded peripheral surface). Thedifferences in where the substantially flat peripheral surface STE andthe rounded peripheral surface contact the deterministic stationfeatures 2710, 2711 are accounted for in the algorithm(s) present in orused by the controller 11091 to determine the radial position R1, R2,R3, R4 of the end effector 314E. Registration, of contact and stationlocation (X, Y and Z) thereof, by the controller is effected bydetecting post-contact eccentricity of the substrate S, ST in a mannersimilar to that described before, and as further noted below.

In this aspect, the substrate S, ST is placed on the end effector 314Eof the substrate transfer robot 314 in any suitable manner so that thesubstrate S, ST has a known relationship relative to the end effector314E (FIG. 28, Block 2800). In one aspect, for example, the substratetransfer robot 314 is controlled to move the substrate S, ST in a radialR move (that is initiated, for example, from a known position of thesubstrate S, ST, such as the determined or known station location, orknown substrate location, and for an R distance known, or resolved ifinitially unknown, to bring the substrate into contact with apredetermined deterministic station feature to 2710 causing substrateeccentricity resolved to determine contact location) at a first Z axisheight so that the substrate S, ST contacts one or more of thedeterministic station features 2710, 2711 (FIG. 28, Block 2810). Theradial extension R1 and height Z1 of the end effector 314E are recorded(FIG. 28, Block 2820) by, for example, controller 11091 to effect adetermination of the substrate holding station height Zs as will bedescribed below. The substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled toiteratively move the substrate S, ST in a radial move R1, R2, R3, R4 atanother varying Z axis heights so that the substrate S, ST contacts(determined as described above) one or more of the deterministic stationfeatures 2710, 2711 (FIG. 28, Block 2810). The radial extension R2 andheight Z2 of the end effector 314E are recorded (FIG. 28, Block 2820)by, for example, controller 11091 to effect a determination of thesubstrate holding station height Zs as will be described below. Blocks2810-2820 of FIG. 28 are iteratively repeated so as to establish atleast two points on each of the side surfaces SS1, SS2 of one or more ofthe deterministic station features 2710, 2711 so as to enable, forexample, the controller 11091 to interpolate the location andorientation of the side surfaces SS1, SS2 and determine an intersectionbetween the side surfaces SS1, SS2 (FIG. 28, Block 2830). In one aspect,the intersection between the side surfaces SS1, SS2 is located at theintersection height Zf relative to a reference frame of the substrateholding station (or any other suitable reference frame, such as of thetransfer robot 314). It is noted that the distance or height L betweenthe intersection height Zf and the substrate holding station teachheight Zs is known.

As can be seen in FIG. 27C the Z heights Z1-Z4 and the radial extensionpositions R1-R4 iteratively obtained in blocks 2810-2820 of FIG. 28 areused by, for example, the controller 11091 to interpolate the locationof the intersection point Rf, Zf of the intersection between the sidesurfaces SS1, SS2. The teach height Zs of the substrate holding stationis determined (FIG. 28, Block 2840) from Zs=Zf−L, where L is a knownvalue as described above.

Referring to FIGS. 29A-29F, in another aspect the deterministic stationfeatures 2910, 2911 (which may be substantially similar to thosedeterministic station features and/or lift pins described above) have afree end that is substantially flat while the peripheral surface STE ofthe substrate S, ST includes a first surface SS1′ and second surfaceSS2′ that are angled relative to each other. In a manner substantiallysimilar to that described above, the substrate S, ST is placed on theend effector 314E of the substrate transfer robot 314 in any suitablemanner so that the substrate S, ST has a known relationship relative tothe end effector 314E (FIG. 28, Block 2800). In one aspect, for example,the substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled to move the substrate S,ST in a radial R move at multiple Z heights Zi for determining the teachheight Zs of the substrate holding station. For example, the substratetransfer robot 314 is controlled to move the substrate in a radial moveR1 at a first Z axis height Z1 so that the substrate S, ST contacts oneor more of the deterministic station features 2910, 2911 (FIG. 28, Block2810). The radial extension R1 and height Z1 of the end effector 314Eare recorded (FIG. 28, Block 2820) by, for example, controller 11091 toeffect a determination of the station height Zs as will be describedbelow. The substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled to move thesubstrate S, ST in a radial move R2 at another Z axis height Z2 so thatthe substrate S, ST contacts the one or more of the deterministicstation features 2910, 2911 (FIG. 28, Block 2810). The radial extensionR2 and height Z2 of the end effector 314E are recorded (FIG. 28, Block2820) by, for example, controller 11091 to effect a determination of thestation height Zs as will be described below. Blocks 2810-2820 of FIG.28 are iteratively repeated so as to establish at least two points oneach of the side surfaces SS1′, SS2′ of the substrate S, ST so as toenable, for example, the controller 11091 to interpolate the locationand orientation of the side surfaces SS1′, SS2′ as illustrated in FIG.29F and determine an intersection Rf, Zf between the side surfaces SS1′,SS2′ (FIG. 28, Block 2830). In one aspect, the intersection between theside surfaces SS1′, SS2′ corresponds to the height Zf of thedeterministic station features 2910, 2911. As described above, thedistance or height L between the intersection height Zf and thesubstrate holding station teach height Zs is known such that the teachheight Zs of the substrate holding station can be determined fromZs=Zf−L as described above with respect to block 2840 of FIG. 28.

Referring now to FIG. 30 the one or more deterministic station feature3010, 3011, which may be substantially similar to those deterministicstation features and/or lift pins described above, includes a flaredfree end (as opposed to the tapered free end illustrated in FIGS. 27Aand 27B). In this aspect the taught height Zs of the substrate holdingstation is determined in a manner substantially similar to thatdescribed above with respect to FIG. 28. For example, the substratetransfer robot 314 is controlled to move the substrate S, ST radially atvarious Z heights to determine at least the locations R1, Z1-R4, Z4(e.g. at least two points on each surface SS1″, SS2″ of thedeterministic station features 3010, 3011) so that the intersection Rf,Zf of the surfaces SS1″, SS2″ can be interpolated or calculated by thecontroller 11091 in any suitable manner where the substrate stationteach height Zs is determined from Zs=Zf−L as described above.

As may be realized, the teach height Zs of the substrate holding stationmay be determined or established after the X, Y location of thesubstrate holding station has been determined/taught, while in otheraspects the teach height Zs of the substrate holding station may bedetermined prior to the determination of the X, Y location of thesubstrate holding station. For example, while the above describes thedetermination of the teach height Zs using one or more deterministicstation features (e.g. such as two deterministic station features), inother aspects a single deterministic station feature, such asdeterministic station feature 2711 (or any other suitable deterministicstation feature or lift pin) may be used to establish the teach heightZs. Referring to FIGS. 31A and 31B the substrate S, ST is placed on theend effector 314E of the substrate transfer robot 314 in any suitablemanner so that the substrate S, ST has a known relationship relative tothe end effector 314E (FIG. 32, Block 3200). In one aspect, for example,the substrate transfer robot 314 is controlled to move the substrate S,ST along an arc R′ (e.g. such as by rotating the end effector about awrist joint of the transfer robot or in any other suitable manner) atmultiple Z heights for determining the teach height Zs of the substrateholding station. For example, the substrate transfer robot 314 iscontrolled to move the substrate along arc R′ at a first Z axis heightZ1 so that the substrate S, ST contacts but one of the deterministicstation features 2711 (FIG. 32, Block 3210). The rotational movement R1′and height Z1 of the end effector 314E are recorded (FIG. 32, Block3220) by, for example, controller 11091 to effect a determination of thestation height Zs as will be described below. As may be realized, afterrecording the rotational movement R1′ and height Z1 the substrate may bereturned to a position at which the rotational movement of the substratestarted (e.g. in effect a home position for the rotational movement) toprovide for a base location or position from which to measure therotational movement of the substrate ST. The substrate transfer robot314 is controlled to move the substrate S, ST in a rotational movementR2′ at another Z axis height Z2 so that the substrate S, ST contacts butone of the deterministic station features 2711 (FIG. 32, Block 3210).The rotational movement R2′ and height Z2 of the end effector 314E arerecorded (FIG. 32, Block 3220) by, for example, controller 11091 toeffect a determination of the station height Zs as will be describedbelow. Blocks 3210-3220 of FIG. 32 are iteratively repeated so as toestablish at least two points on each of the side surfaces SS1, SS2 ofthe deterministic station feature 2711 so as to enable, for example, thecontroller 11091 to interpolate the location and orientation of the sidesurfaces SS1, SS2 as illustrated in FIG. 31B and determine anintersection Rf′, Zf between the side surfaces SS1, SS2 (FIG. 32, Block3230). In one aspect, the intersection between the side surfaces SS1,SS2 corresponds to the height Zf of the deterministic station feature2711. As described above, the distance or height L between theintersection height Zf and the substrate holding station teach height Zsis known such that the teach height Zs of the substrate holding stationcan be determined (FIG. 32, Block 3240) from Zs=Zf−L as described abovewith respect to block 2840 of FIG. 28.

In one aspect the station auto-teach processes described herein areperformed at substrate processing temperatures of about 200° C. to about850° C. In other aspects, the station auto-teach processes describedherein are performed at temperatures below about 200° C. or above about850° C. In one aspect, the position of the location C1 on the endeffector 314E of the transfer robot 314 is adjusted to compensate forthermal expansion or contraction in any suitable manner for determiningthe eccentricity of the substrate S, ST in the station auto-teachprocesses described herein. For example, any suitable static detectionsensors, such as for example, sensors 311S1, 311S2 disposed adjacent,for example, any suitable substrate processing module/station detectedges of the substrate S, ST and/or datum features 401, 402 (FIG. 3) ofthe end effector 314E as the end effector 314E moves into and out of thesubstrate processing module/station. Signals from the sensors 311S1,311S2 corresponding to the detection of the substrate edges and/or endeffector datum features are received by, for example, controller 11091and the controller 11091 controls the transfer robot 314 to adjust theposition of the location C1 on the end effector 314E based on the sensorsignals to compensate for the thermal expansion and/or contraction ofthe transfer robot 314 in a manner substantially similar to thatdescribed in U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/191,863 entitled“ON THE FLY AUTOMATIC WAFER CENTERING METHOD AND APPARATUS” filed onJul. 13, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

In one aspect, referring to FIGS. 24A, 24B and 25 the substrate holdinglocation X_(stn), Y_(stn) is taught with static or fixed sensors 2410,2411 rather than the contact deterministic station features 1610, 1611described above. In this aspect, the location of each sensor 2410, 2411has a predetermined spatial relationship with the substrate holdinglocation X_(stn), Y_(stn). The center of the wafer S, ST can be foundwith the sensors 2410, 2411 using the following equations:

$\begin{matrix}{L = \frac{\sqrt{\left( {{Y\; 2} - {Y\; 1}} \right)^{2} + \left( {{X\; 2} - {X\; 1}} \right)^{2}}}{2}} & \lbrack 5\rbrack \\{\theta_{SS} = {\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{Y\; 2} - {Y\; 1}}{{X\; 2} - {X\; 1}} \right)}} & \lbrack 6\rbrack \\{\alpha_{SS} = {\cos^{- 1}\left( \frac{L}{R} \right)}} & \lbrack 7\rbrack \\{{{X\; 3} - {X\; 1}} = {\left. {R\mspace{14mu}{\cos\left( {\alpha_{SS} - \theta_{SS}} \right)}}\rightarrow{X\; 3} \right. = {{X\; 1} + {R\mspace{14mu}{\cos\left( {\alpha_{SS} - \theta_{SS}} \right)}}}}} & \lbrack 8\rbrack \\{{{Y\; 3} - {Y\; 1}} = {\left. {R\;{\sin\left( {\alpha_{SS} - \theta_{SS}} \right)}}\rightarrow{Y\; 3} \right. = {{Y\; 1} + {R\mspace{14mu}{\sin\left( {\alpha_{SS} - \theta_{SS}} \right)}}}}} & \lbrack 9\rbrack\end{matrix}$

In a manner substantially similar to that described above, one or moreof the center WC of the wafer S, ST and the position EC of the substratetransfer robot 314 are determined in the transport apparatus coordinatesystem. In one aspect, the wafer S, ST is centered on the end effectorso that there is substantially zero eccentricity between the wafercenter WC and the end effector center EC. In this aspect, the wafer S,ST is moved by the end effector towards the deterministic stationfeatures, which in this aspect are sensors 2410, 2411. (FIG. 26, Block2600). The wafer S, ST is sensed with the sensors (FIG. 26, Block 2610)and the determination of one or more of the wafer center WC and theposition of the substrate transport apparatus is determined (FIG. 26,Block 2620). As may be realized, because the location of the sensors2410, 2411 relative to the substrate holding location X_(stn), Y_(stn)is known and because the wafer center WC is substantially coincidentwith the end effector center EC the location of the substrate holdingstation is also known relative to the end effector center EC and istaught to the substrate transport apparatus where sensing the wafer S,ST effects registration of the end effector center EC (i.e. the positionof the substrate transport apparatus) relative to the substrate holdinglocation X_(stn), Y_(stn) (FIG. 26, Block 2630).

In other aspects, there may be eccentricity e between the wafer S, STand the end effector center EC. Here for example, as described abovewith respect to FIGS. 18A, 18B and 21, the center position of the waferWC is substantially equal to the robot position EC plus the eccentricitye. To find the eccentricity e and the center of the end effector EC, therespective articulated arm 219A, 219B is controlled by, for example,controller 11091 so as to move the substrates S, ST into theirrespective processing stations (which in one aspect are each similar tothose described above) so that each substrate S, ST is iteratively movedtoward the respective sensors 2410, 2411 in a common direction, asdescribed above, with at least one common drive of the substratetransport apparatus. The eccentricity e is tracked for each respectivesubstrate held by the end effector 219E and the location of the stationholding location for each substrate S, ST is determined in a manner thatis substantially similar to that described above with respect to FIG. 21however, the contact deterministic station features 1610, 1611 arereplaced with the non-contact deterministic station features 2410, 2411.For example, there is substantially zero eccentricity e between thewafer S, ST and the end effector center EC when it is determined thatthe sensors 2410, 2411 substantially simultaneously sense the wafer S,ST and the eccentricity is within a predetermined tolerance as describedabove (FIG. 26, Block 2640).

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate station location is provided. The system includes a frame; asubstrate transport connected to the frame, the substrate transporthaving an end effector configured to support a substrate; and acontroller configured to move the substrate transport so that thesubstrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst a substrate station feature causing a change in eccentricitybetween the substrate and the end effector, determine the change ineccentricity, and determine the substrate station location based on atleast the change in eccentricity between the substrate and the endeffector.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station location is a Z location of the substrate station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesystem further includes a substrate locating unit connected to theframe.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate locating unit includes an automatic wafer centering (AWC) unitconnected to the frame.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station feature is located inside a process module having avacuum pressure environment therein.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thevacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst a substrate station feature in the vacuum pressure environment.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station feature is located within a process module that is ina state of process security for processing substrates.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller includes embedded pick/place commands to move the substratetransport and bias the substrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller includes embedded substrate locating commands to determinethe substrate eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment aprocess tool includes a frame; a substrate transport connected to theframe and having an end effector configured to support a substrate; anda substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate station location, the auto-teach system including a controllerconfigured to move the substrate transport so that the substratetransport taps the substrate supported on the end effector against asubstrate station feature causing a change in eccentricity between thesubstrate and the end effector, determine the change in eccentricity,and determine the substrate station location based on at least thechange in eccentricity between the substrate and the end effector.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theprocess tool further includes a substrate locating unit connected to theframe.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate locating unit includes an automatic wafer center (AWC) unitconnected to the frame.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station feature is located inside a process module having avacuum pressure environment therein.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thevacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst a substrate station feature in the vacuum pressure environment.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station feature is located within a process module that is ina state of process security for processing substrates.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller includes embedded pick/place commands to move the substratetransport and bias the substrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller includes embedded substrate locating commands to determinethe substrate eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate is a representative teaching or dummy wafer.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus includes a frame; a substrate transportapparatus movably connected to the frame and having an end effectorconfigured to support a substrate; a substrate station connected to theframe and having at least a first station feature having a predeterminedspatial relationship with a substrate holding location of the substratestation; and an auto-teach system for auto-teaching a substrate stationlocation of the substrate station, the auto-teach system including acontrol system operably connected to the substrate transport apparatusand being configured to determine the substrate holding location with atleast one embedded pick/place command from embedded pick/place commandsin the controller, wherein the commanded transport of the substratetransport apparatus, from the at least one embedded pick/place command,effects movement of the end effector so that the substrate supported onthe end effector taps the at least first station feature causing aneccentricity between the substrate and the end effector through contactwith the at least first station feature, determine an amount of theeccentricity, and determine a location of the substrate holding locationbased on the eccentricity and the predetermined spatial relationship.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theat least first station feature is located inside a process module havinga vacuum pressure environment therein.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thevacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport taps the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst the at least first station feature in the vacuum pressureenvironment.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theat least first station feature is located within a process module thatis in a state of process security for processing substrates.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theembedded pick/place commands move the substrate transport and taps thesubstrate against the at least first station feature.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller includes embedded substrate locating commands to determinethe eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station includes a second station feature having apredetermined spatial relationship with a substrate holding location ofthe substrate station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment amethod for auto-teaching a substrate station location includes providinga substrate transport and supporting a substrate on an end effector ofthe substrate transport; causing a change in eccentricity between thesubstrate and the end effector by moving, with a controller, thesubstrate transport so that the substrate transport biases the substratesupported on the end effector against a substrate station feature;determining, with the controller, the change in eccentricity; anddetermining, with the controller, the substrate station location basedon at least the change in eccentricity between the substrate and the endeffector.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate station feature is located inside a process module having avacuum pressure environment therein.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thevacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport biases the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst a substrate station feature in the vacuum pressure environment.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further includes moving the substrate transport and biasing thesubstrate with embedded pick/place commands of the controller.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further includes determining the eccentricity with embeddedsubstrate locating commands of the controller.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment amethod includes providing a substrate transport apparatus having an endeffector configured to support a substrate; providing a substratestation having at least a first station feature having a predeterminedspatial relationship with a substrate holding location of the substratestation; and automatically teaching a substrate station location of thesubstrate station by determining the substrate holding location with atleast one embedded pick/place command from embedded pick/place commandsin a controller, wherein the commanded transport of the substratetransport apparatus, from the at least one embedded pick/place command,effects movement of the end effector so that the substrate supported onthe end effector taps the at least first station feature causing aneccentricity between the substrate and the end effector through contactwith the at least first station feature, determining, with thecontroller, an amount of the eccentricity, and determining, with thecontroller, a location of the substrate holding location based on theeccentricity and the predetermined spatial relationship.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theat least first station feature is located inside a process module havinga vacuum pressure environment therein.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thevacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport taps the substrate supported on the end effectoragainst the at least first station feature in the vacuum pressureenvironment.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further includes moving the substrate transport and tapping thesubstrate against the at least first station feature with the embeddedpick/place commands.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further includes determining the eccentricity with embeddedsubstrate locating commands of the controller.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further includes providing the substrate station with a secondstation feature having a predetermined spatial relationship with asubstrate holding location of the substrate station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment amethod for in situ auto-teaching of a substrate station locationcomprises:

providing deterministic station features on a substrate holding station,the deterministic station features deterministically defining apredetermined position of a substrate in contact with the deterministicstation features, which predetermined position has a predeterminedrelation with and identifying the substrate holding station;

determining, through contact between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and

determining a teach location of the substrate holding station based onthe common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

establishing a location of the station features in a transport apparatuscoordinate system by contacting the at least one deterministic stationfeature with the substrate and determining an eccentricity of thesubstrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

iteratively contacting the at least one deterministic station featurewith the substrate to confirm the eccentricity of the substrate relativeto the transport apparatus coordinate system until a change in theeccentricity resolves to the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

determining the predetermined position of the substrate and a centerposition of a transport apparatus end effector holding the substratebased on the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

determining the teach location, in the transport apparatus coordinatesystem, of the substrate holding station from the predetermined positionof the substrate with respect to the substrate holding station and thecenter position of the transport apparatus end effector.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentcontact between the substrate and at least one station feature is from acommon direction.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theteach location of the substrate holding station is determined in situ tothe substrate holding station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontact between the substrate and at least one deterministic stationfeature is an iterative contact and an eccentricity of the substrate isdetermined for each iteration.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate is repositioned relative to a substrate transport holding thesubstrate based on the eccentricity for each iteration.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecommon eccentricity is an eccentricity within a signal noise of a wafersensor configured to detect the substrate for determining the commoneccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment themethod further comprising determining, with a controller a centerlocation of a substrate transport end effector to effect determining thecommon eccentricity relative to the center location, where thecontroller adjusts a location of the center location to compensate forthermal effects on the transport apparatus.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a frame;

a substrate holding station connected to the frame and havingdeterministic station features that deterministically define apredetermined position of a substrate in contact with the deterministicstation features, which predetermined position has a predeterminedrelation with and identifying the substrate holding station;

a substrate transport connected to the frame and being configured tomove the substrate; and

a controller configured to

determine, through contact between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and

determine a teach location of the substrate holding station based on thecommon eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to:

establish a location of the station features in a coordinate system ofthe substrate transport apparatus by controlling the substrate transportapparatus so that the substrate contacts the at least one stationfeature and determine an eccentricity of the substrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to:

effect iterative contact between the at least one deterministic stationfeature and the substrate to confirm the eccentricity of the substraterelative to the coordinate system until a change in the eccentricityresolves to the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to:

determine the predetermined position of the substrate and a centerposition of the transport apparatus based on the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to:

determine the teach location of the substrate holding station, in thecoordinate system, from the predetermined position of the substrate withrespect to the substrate holding station and the center position of thetransport apparatus.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is configured to effect contact between the substrate and atleast one station feature from a common direction.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment theteach location of the substrate holding station is determined in situ tothe substrate holding station.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is configured to effect an eccentricity determination of thesubstrate for each iterative contact.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is configured to effect repositioning of the substraterelative to a substrate transport based on the eccentricitydetermination for each iterative contact.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecommon eccentricity is an eccentricity within a signal noise of a wafersensor configured to detect the substrate for determining the commoneccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thesubstrate transport comprises an end effector having a center location,the end effector being configured to hold the substrate, and

the controller is further configured to determine the center location toeffect determining the common eccentricity relative to the centerlocation, where the controller is configured to adjust a location of thecenter location to compensate for thermal effects on the transportapparatus.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a frame;

a station fixture connected to the frame and having deterministicstation features that deterministically define a predetermined positionof a substrate in contact with the deterministic station features, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifyingthe substrate holding location of the station fixture; and

a substrate transport configured to hold the teaching substrate; and

a controller configured move the substrate transport so that theteaching substrate moves relative to the station features in a commondirection.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is configured to determine the predetermined position of thesubstrate and the substrate holding location, where the position of thesubstrate and the substrate holding location are effected by contactbetween the substrate and the deterministic station features.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a frame;

a station fixture connected to the frame and having deterministicstation features that deterministically define a predetermined positionof a teaching substrate in contact with the deterministic stationfeatures;

a teaching substrate configured so that contact with the deterministicstation features positions the teaching substrate in the predeterminedposition with a predetermined relation with and identifying thesubstrate holding location;

and

a substrate transport configured to hold the teaching substrate; and

a controller configured move the substrate transport so that theteaching substrate moves relative to the station features in a commondirection.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is configured to determine the predetermined position of thesubstrate and the substrate holding location, where the position of thesubstrate and the substrate holding location are effected by contactbetween the substrate and the deterministic station features.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a frame;

a substrate holding station connected to the frame, the substrateholding station having deterministic station features thatdeterministically define a predetermined position of a substrate incontact with the deterministic station features, which predeterminedposition has a predetermined relation with and identifying the substrateholding location of the station fixture;

a transport apparatus connected to the frame and being configured tohold the substrate; and

a controller configured to

effect movement of the substrate, with the transport apparatus, wherethe substrate contacts at least one of the deterministic stationfeatures,

determine a common eccentricity of the substrate relative to thesubstrate transport apparatus, and

determine a position of the substrate holding location based on thecommon eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate station location comprises:

a frame;

a substrate transport connected to the frame, the substrate transporthaving an end effector configured to support a substrate;

a substrate holding station connected to the frame, the substrateholding station having deterministic station features; and

a controller configured to

move the substrate transport so that the substrate contacts thedeterministic station features causing a change in eccentricity betweenthe substrate and the end effector,

determine the change in eccentricity, and

determine the substrate station location based on at least the change ineccentricity where the eccentricity identifies the substrate stationlocation.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentmethod for in situ auto-teaching of a substrate station locationcomprises:

providing deterministic station features on a substrate holding station,the deterministic station features deterministically defining apredetermined position of a substrate interacting with the deterministicstation features, which predetermined position has a predeterminedrelation with and identifying the substrate holding station;

determining, through interaction between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and

determining a teach location of the substrate holding station based onthe common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

establishing a location of the station features in a transport apparatuscoordinate system by contacting the at least one deterministic stationfeature with the substrate and determining an eccentricity of thesubstrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

iteratively contacting the at least one deterministic station featurewith the substrate to confirm the eccentricity of the substrate relativeto the transport apparatus coordinate system until a change in theeccentricity resolves to the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentdetermining the teach location of the substrate holding stationcomprises:

iteratively passing the substrate past at least one deterministicstation feature to confirm the eccentricity of the substrate relative tothe transport apparatus coordinate system until a change in theeccentricity resolves to the common eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentsensing the substrate effects registration of a center position of atransport apparatus end effector, holding the substrate, relative to thesubstrate holding location.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a frame;

a substrate holding station connected to the frame and havingdeterministic station features that deterministically define apredetermined position of a substrate interfacing with the deterministicstation features, which predetermined position has a predeterminedrelation with and identifying the substrate holding station;

a substrate transport connected to the frame and being configured tomove the substrate; and

a controller configured to

determine, through interaction between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and

determine a teach location of the substrate holding station based on thecommon eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to establish a location of the stationfeatures in a transport apparatus coordinate system by effecting contactbetween the at least one deterministic station feature and thesubstrate, and determine an eccentricity of the substrate.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to effect iterative contact between theat least one deterministic station feature and the substrate to confirmthe eccentricity of the substrate relative to the transport apparatuscoordinate system until a change in the eccentricity resolves to thecommon eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment thecontroller is further configured to effect iteratively passing thesubstrate past at least one deterministic station feature to confirm theeccentricity of the substrate relative to the transport apparatuscoordinate system until a change in the eccentricity resolves to thecommon eccentricity.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodimentsensing the substrate effects registration of a center position of atransport apparatus end effector, holding the substrate, relative to thesubstrate holding location.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosed embodiment asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises:

a substrate holding fixture; and

a teaching substrate, the substrate holding fixture and the teachingsubstrate having in combination a configuration that is deterministicwith respect to a substrate holding fixture Z teach location that iseffected with bump touch;

wherein the configuration of the substrate holding fixture and theteaching substrate

defines at least one feature with a contact surface between thesubstrate holding fixture and teaching substrate, the at least onefeature having a predetermined variance in both a Z direction and aradial extension direction of a substrate transport, and

determines, through contact between the teaching substrate and thecontact surface, resolution of the substrate holding fixture Z teachlocation.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the aspects of the disclosed embodiment. Variousalternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in theart without departing from the aspects of the disclosed embodiment.Accordingly, the aspects of the disclosed embodiment are intended toembrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fallwithin the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, in accordance withthe aspects of the disclosed embodiment, any one or more of the featuresdescribed in the above paragraphs may be advantageously combined withany other features described in the above paragraphs, such a combinationremaining within the scope of the aspects of the invention. Further, themere fact that different features are recited in mutually differentdependent or independent claims does not indicate that a combination ofthese features cannot be advantageously used, such a combinationremaining within the scope of the aspects of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process tool comprising: a frame; a substratetransport connected to the frame and having an end effector configuredto support a substrate; and a substrate transport apparatus auto-teachsystem for auto-teaching a substrate station location, the auto-teachsystem including a controller configured to move the substrate transportso that the substrate transport taps the substrate supported on the endeffector against a substrate station feature causing a change ineccentricity between the substrate and the end effector, determine thechange in eccentricity, and determine the substrate station locationbased on at least the change in eccentricity between the substrate andthe end effector.
 2. The process tool of claim 1, wherein substratestation location is a Z location of the substrate station.
 3. Theprocess tool of claim 1, further comprising a substrate locating unitconnected to the frame and including an automatic wafer center (AWC)unit connected to the frame.
 4. The process tool of claim 1, wherein thesubstrate station feature is located inside a process module having avacuum pressure environment therein.
 5. The process tool of claim 4,wherein the vacuum pressure environment is a high vacuum.
 6. The processtool of claim 4, wherein the substrate transport biases the substratesupported on the end effector against a substrate station feature in thevacuum pressure environment.
 7. The process tool of claim 1, wherein thesubstrate station feature is located within a process module that is ina state of process security for processing substrates.
 8. The processtool of claim 1, wherein the controller includes embedded pick/placecommands to move the substrate transport and bias the substrate.
 9. Theprocess tool of claim 1, wherein the controller includes embeddedsubstrate locating commands to determine the substrate eccentricity. 10.The process tool of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a representativeteaching or dummy wafer.
 11. A method for in situ auto-teaching of asubstrate station location comprises: providing deterministic stationfeatures on a substrate holding station, the deterministic stationfeatures deterministically defining a predetermined position of asubstrate in contact with the deterministic station features, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifyingthe substrate holding station; determining, through contact between thesubstrate and at least one deterministic station feature, a commoneccentricity of the substrate; and determining a teach location of thesubstrate holding station based on the common eccentricity.
 12. Asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises: frame; a substrate holding stationconnected the frame and having deterministic station features thatdeterministically define a predetermined position of a substrate incontact with the deterministic station features, which predeterminedposition has a predetermined relation with and identifying the substrateholding station; a substrate transport apparatus connected to the frameand being configured to move the substrate; and a controller configuredto determine, through contact between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and determine a teach location of the substrate holding station based onthe common eccentricity.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein thecontroller is further configured to: establish a location of thedeterministic station features in a coordinate system of the substratetransport apparatus by controlling the substrate transport apparatus sothat the substrate contacts the at least one deterministic stationfeature and determine an eccentricity of the substrate.
 14. The systemof claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to: effectiterative contact between the at least one deterministic station featureand the substrate to confirm the eccentricity of the substrate relativeto the coordinate system until a change in the eccentricity resolves tothe common eccentricity.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein thecontroller is configured to effect an eccentricity determination of thesubstrate for each iterative contact.
 16. The system of claim 14,wherein the controller is configured to effect repositioning of thesubstrate relative to a substrate transport based on the eccentricitydetermination for each iterative contact.
 17. The system of claim 13,wherein the controller is further configured to: determine the teachlocation of the substrate holding station, in the coordinate system,from the predetermined position of the substrate with respect to thesubstrate holding station and a center position of the substratetransport apparatus.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the controlleris further configured to: determine the predetermine position of thesubstrate and a center position of the transport apparatus based on thecommon eccentricity.
 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the controlleris configured to effect contact between the substrate and at least onestation feature from a common direction.
 20. The system of claim 12,wherein the teach location of the substrate holding station isdetermined in situ to the substrate holding station.
 21. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the common eccentricity is an eccentricity within asignal noise of a wafer sensor configured to detect the substrate fordetermining the common eccentricity.
 22. The system of claim 12, whereinthe substrate transport comprises an end effector having a centerlocation, the end effector being configured to hold the substrate, andthe controller is further configured to determine the center location toeffect determining the common eccentricity relative to the centerlocation, where the controller is configured to adjust a location of thecenter location to compensate for thermal effects on the transportapparatus.
 23. A substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system forauto-teaching a substrate holding location comprising: a frame; astation fixture connected to the frame and having deterministic stationfeatures that deterministically define a predetermined position of asubstrate in contact with the deterministic station features, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifyingthe substrate holding location of the station fixture; and substratetransport configured to a teaching substrate; and a controllerconfigured move the substrate transport so that the teaching substratemoves relative to the station features in a common direction.
 24. Thesystem of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to determinethe predetermined position of the teaching substrate and the substrateholding location, where the position of the teaching substrate and thesubstrate holding location are effected by contact between the teachingsubstrate and the deterministic station features.
 25. A substratetransport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching a substrateholding location comprises: a frame; a substrate holding stationconnected to the frame, the substrate hold station having deterministicstation features that deterministically define a predetermined positionof a substrate in contact with the deterministic station features, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifyingthe substrate holding location of the station fixture; a transportapparatus connected to the frame and being configured to hold thesubstrate; and a controller configured to effect movement of thesubstrate, with the transport apparatus, where the substrate contacts atleast one of the deterministic station features, determine a commoneccentricity of the substrate relative to the substrate transportapparatus, and determine a position of the substrate holding locationbased on the common eccentricity.
 26. The system of claim 25, whereinthe controller is configured to move the transport apparatus so that thesubstrate contacts the deterministic station features causing a changein eccentricity between the substrate and an end effector.
 27. Thesystem of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to move thetransport apparatus so that the substrate contacts the deterministicstation features causing a change in eccentricity between the substrateand an end effector.
 28. A method for in situ auto-teaching of asubstrate station location comprises: providing deterministic stationfeatures on a substrate holding station, the deterministic stationfeatures deterministically defining a predetermined position of asubstrate interacting with the deterministic station features, whichpredetermined position has a predetermined relation with and identifyingthe substrate holding station; determining, through interaction betweenthe substrate and at least one deterministic station feature, a commoneccentricity of the substrate; and determining a teach location of thesubstrate holding station based on the common eccentricity.
 29. Asubstrate transport apparatus auto-teach system for auto-teaching asubstrate holding location comprises: a frame; a substrate holdingstation connected to the frame and having deterministic station featuresthat deterministically define a predetermined position of a substrateinterfacing with the deterministic station features, which predeterminedposition has a predetermined relation with and identifying the substrateholding station; a substrate transport connected to the frame and beingconfigured to move the substrate; and a controller configured todetermine, through interaction between the substrate and at least onedeterministic station feature, a common eccentricity of the substrate;and determine a teach location of the substrate holding station based onthe common eccentricity.
 30. The system of claim 29, wherein thecontroller is further configured to establish a location of thedeterministic station features in a transport apparatus coordinatesystem by effecting contact between the at least one deterministicstation feature and the substrate, and determine an eccentricity of thesubstrate.
 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to effect iterative contact between the at least onedeterministic station feature and the substrate to confirm theeccentricity of the substrate relative to the transport apparatuscoordinate system until a change in the eccentricity resolves to thecommon eccentricity.
 32. The system of claim 30, wherein the controlleris further configured to effect iteratively passing the substrate pastthe at least one deterministic station feature to confirm theeccentricity of the substrate relative to the transport apparatuscoordinate system until a change in the eccentricity resolves to thecommon eccentricity.
 33. The system of claim 29, wherein sensing thesubstrate effects registration of a center position of a transport endeffector, holding the substrate, relative to the substrate holdinglocation.
 34. A substrate transport apparatus auto-teach system forauto-teaching a substrate holding location comprises: a substrateholding fixture; and a teaching substrate, the substrate holding fixtureand the teaching substrate having in combination a configuration that isdeterministic with respect to a substrate holding fixture Z teachlocation that is effected with bump touch; wherein the configuration ofthe substrate holding fixture and the teaching substrate defines atleast one feature with a contact surface between the substrate holdingfixture and teaching substrate, the at least one feature having apredetermined variance in both a Z direction and a radial extensiondirection of a substrate transport, and determines, through contactbetween the teaching substrate and the contact surface, resolution ofthe substrate holding fixture Z teach location.